BASIC WATER MATH FOR UTILITY

OPERATOR CERTIFICATION

4/30/2020
 Knowledge to
Public Health trouble shoot
Protection and adjust
your system
Why Care
About Water
Pass the
Math? exam, get
Get a career
advancement
certified

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 • Part of the water utility
operator certification exam
Water Operator
Certification • Level of math varies with type
of exam and level of
: WATER MATH certification:

❖Lower levels – may require less math

❖Exam type e.g. water treatment exam –
more advanced math

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 • Draw sketches – visualize the
problem

Tips for solving • Familiarize yourself with the

formula sheet before the
math problems exam

• Pay attention to the units

• Practice! Practice! Practice!

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 Familiarize yourself with:
• Square feet = (ft2)
Water Math –
Terms, Definitions • Cubic feet = (ft3)
& Measurements • Cubic ft per sec = ft3/s or CFS
• Acre feet = (aft)
• Gallons per acre foot = gal/ac ft
• Inches per foot = in/ft
• Mile = mi
• Feet per mile = ft/mi

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 Familiarize yourself with:

Water Math – • Gallons per cubic ft = gal/cu ft

Terms, Definitions • Pounds per gallon = lbs/gal
& Measurements • Pounds per square inch = psi
• Gallons per day = gpd
• Gallons per minute = gpm
• Million Gallons = MG
• Million Gallons per day = MGD

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 Formula Sheets
• Most programs allow formula
sheets during testing
Example

Water Math

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 a) Pie Wheels
Top half: One side of
the equation

The top half balances the

bottom half of the wheel

Formula Sheet
Bottom half: Opposite
side of the equation

b) Equation
Feed Rate (lbs/d) = Flow (MGD) x Dose (mg/L) x 8.34 lbs/gal

*Your units must match the units in the pie wheel*

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 Quick Tip:
Avoid making common mistakes with your units

10 ft, 6 inches 10.6 ft 6 inches = 0.5ft

12 in/ft

= 10.5 ft

5 ft, 9 inches 9 inches = 0.75ft

5.9 ft 12 in/ft

= 5.75 ft 9
 Topics To Cover

• Averages
• Fractions and Percents
• Area
• Volume
Water Math • Conversions
• Water Pressure Head
• Flow and Velocity
• Dosage Calculations

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 Basic Math Concepts
Concept Definition/Keywords Example

Exponents A number that is multiplied

by itself, a specified number
of times
• The power of a number

WATER MATH Square

Roots
A number that gives the
original value when
multiplied by itself.
• Opposite of an exponent
(2 x 2 = 4)

Averages • All values in a set are

(Mean) added together
(summed up)
• The sum is divided by
the number of values in
the set
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 Averages
Q: On Monday at 8:00 am the reading on the master meter was 1,523,951 gals.
On Thursday at 8:00 am the meter read 2,859,230 gals. What was the average
daily consumption during this time?

Avg Daily Consumption = Gallons pumped

What do we have? Days elapsed
Gallons pumped

2,859,230 – 1,523,951 = 1,335,279 gallons 1,335,279 gals = 445,093 gpd

3 days
Time Elapsed = 3 days
Rounding down….

Answer
445,000 gpd

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 Fractions
• Part of a whole number

• Top number = Numerator

• Bottom number = Denominator

WATER MATH

Note: All whole numbers have a denominator of ‘1’,

that is not always written out e.g. 5 = 5/1

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 Percents
• Percents are fractions where the
denominator (bottom) is equal to 100

• Applied to water math in different areas

e.g. hypochlorite solutions
➢ 65%, 12.5% or 100%
WATER MATH
• Percents can be converted into fractions
and vice versa

Numerator
Denominator

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 Percents and Decimals

• To change a percent into a decimal: drop

the % and divide the number by 100 :

65% = 65/100 = 0.65

WATER MATH
• To change a decimal to a percent:
multiply the decimal by 100 and add a %

0.12 x 100 = 12%

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 ORDER OF OPERATIONS
A rule that tells you the sequence to
follow when solving math problems

• Please (Parentheses)
WATER MATH
• Excuse (Exponents)

• My Dear (Multiply or Divide)

• Aunt Sally (Add or Subtract) 16

 Formulas: Order of Operations
A = πr2 or
A = 0.785d2
Q: Calculate the Area of a Circle
What do we have?
Π = 3.14
40 ft Diameter = 40 ft
Radius = D/2 = 20 ft

Formula 1: Formula 2:
A = π × r2
A = 0.785 × d2
A = 3.14 × (20ft)2
A = 0.785 × (40ft x 40ft)
A = 3.14 × (20ft × 20ft)
A = 0.785 × 1600ft2
A = 3.14 × 400ft2

Area = 1256 ft2 Area = 1256 ft2

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 Volumes - Cylinders

R = 10 ft
Applications Tanks
• Storage tanks & reservoirs
H = 50ft
• Pipes
• Wells (bore hole)

Water Pipes

Wells 18
 (Part A)
V = πr2h Q: Calculate the Volume in ft3 and in
A = πdh
gallons:
What do we have?
40 ft Π = 3.14
Diameter = 40 ft
Radius = D/2 = 20 ft
Height = 30 ft
30 ft
V = πr2h
V = 3.14 × (20ft)2 × 30ft
V = 3.14 × (20ft x 20ft) × 30ft
V = 3.14 x 400ft2 x 30ft
V = 37,680 ft3
Remember to multiply the units too : ft2 × ft = ft3)

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 (Part B)

Q: Calculate the Volume in gallons:

Convert ft3 to gallons
40 ft
V = 37,680 ft3 Quick Tip: There is
always more
Conversion Factor: gallons than ft3
30 ft 1 ft3 = 7.48 gallons

1 ft3 = 7.48 gallons

37,680 ft3 = ?

= 37,680 ft3 X 7.48 gallons

1 ft3
= 281, 846.4 gallons
Rounding up…

Volume = 282,000 gallons

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Volumes - Rectangles
Applications:
• Rectangular storage tanks
• Fill dirt and excavations
• Units: ft3, yd3

Depth
W
L 21
 Volumes of Rectangles

Q: How many cubic yards of dirt must be ordered to fill in a

trench of dimensions: L = 400 ft; W = 4 ft; D = 3 ft.
Vol = L X W X D
Vol = L X W X D Vol = 400 ft X 4 ft X 3 ft

D = 3ft Vol = 4800 ft3

L=400ft
W=4ft Converting ft 3 to yd 3

27 ft3 = 1 yd3
1ft = 12 inches
4800 ft3 = ?
1 yd = 3 ft = 177.777
4800 ft3 x 1 yd3
1 yd3 = 27 ft3 27 ft3
= 178 yd3 22
 Water Pressure
• Pressure is a force per unit area
• Usually measured in pounds per square inch (PSI)
• Useful in managing water storage tanks (conversion: ft
of water to psi and vice versa)
• Maintain a meaningful range based on your water
system

• Too low:
• Water backflow - contamination concern
• Lack of firefighting capacity
• Customer complaints
• Too high:
• Water main breaks
• Increased turbidity: a contamination
concern
• Customer complaints

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 Water Pressure Head

• When considering pressure in a

water column, the column height is
what matters (hydraulic head)

Water Pressure
1 psi = 2.31 ft
1 ft = 0.433psi

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 Water Pressure
1 ft = 0.433psi
1 psi = 2.31 ft
Q: What is the pressure (psi) at the bottom of
each tank?

Water Level
Water Level
50 ft
50 ft

1 ft = 0.433 psi 2.31 ft = 1 psi

50 ft = ? 50 ft = ?

50 ft x 0.433 psi 50 ft x 1 psi = 22 psi

= 22 psi 2.31 ft
1 ft

pressure depends on water head only (height of water)

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 Pressure and Water Tanks
Q: How much water is in the tank if the pressure reading at
the first customer by the base of the hill is 30psi?
15ft
1 psi = 2.31 ft Water in tank alone
Convert 30 psi to ft
(Hill height + water height in tank) – (Hill height)
50ft 1 psi = 2.31 ft
30 psi = ?
? = 29 ft
30 psi x 2.31 ft 69.3ft – 40ft = 29.3ft
1 psi

69.3ft
Hill (Hill height + Water height in tank) 29 ft
40ft
30psi 26
 Flow & Velocity

Flow = Area (cross-sectional) x Velocity

Flow (ft3/sec) = Area (ft2) x Velocity (ft/sec)

A volume A length

Don’t confuse flow and velocity! 27

 Q: Calculate the flow of water in a 6” pipe with a velocity
of 10 ft/sec

Vel = 10 ft/sec Flow (ft3/sec) = Area (ft2) x Velocity (ft/sec)

12” = 1ft
6” = 12/6 = 0.5 ft Flow (ft3/sec) = 0.196 ft2 x 10 ft/sec
r D = 6” = 0.5ft
r R = 3” = 0.25ft
Flow (ft3/sec) = 1.96 ft3/sec
Area = R2

Area = 3.14 x (0.25ft x 0.25ft) Rounding up…

Area = 0.196 ft 2
Flow = 2.0 ft3/sec (CFS)
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 Important Chlorine Dosage & Feed Rate Formulas

1) Dosage, mg/l = (Demand, mg/l) + (Residual, mg/l)

2) Gas Cl2 (lbs) = (Vol, MG) x (Dosage, mgl) x (8.34 lbs/gal)

3) HTH/Solid Cl2 (lbs) = (Vol, MG) x (Dosage, mg/l) x (8.34 lbs/gal)

(Decimal % Strength)

4) Liquid Cl2 (lbs) = (Vol, MG) x (Dosage, mg/l) x (8.34lbs/gal)

(Decimal % Strength)
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 Chlorine Dosage

1) Dosage, (mg/l) = Demand, (mg/l) + Residual, (mg/l)

(What you add) (What is used up) (What remains)

This equation can be re-arranged to solve for any of the three parameters.
Isolate the unknown.

*Understand this formula, because it is not always given on some formula sheets!*

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 Chlorine Dosage
Q: Calculate the residual chlorine if the demand is 2.0 mg/L
and the dosage is 2.8 mg/L

What do we have?
Demand = 2.0 mg/L
Dosage = 2.8 mg/L
Residual = Dosage – Demand
Dosage = Demand + Residual

Isolate the unknown

Residual = 2.8 mg/l – 2.0 mg/L

Dosage - Demand = Demand + Residual - Demand

Residual = 0.8 mg/L

Residual = Dosage – Demand

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 a) Pie Wheel
Chemical Feed
Rate Take note of
the chemical

& strength!

Dosage
b) Equation

Feed Rate (lbs/d) = Flow (MGD) x Dose (mg/L) x 8.34 lbs/gal

*This formula can apply to any water added chemical e.g. Fl, Cl2 etc

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 Gas Chlorine = 100% Strength

Chlorine Solid Chlorine = ~65% Strength

(Calcium Hypochlorite or HTH)
Strengths Decimal: 0.65

Liquid Chlorine = ~10 - 12.5%

Strength (Sodium Hypochlorite)
Decimal: 0.125
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 Feed & Dosage
Q: How many lbs of Calcium Hypochlorite (HTH) should be used
to treat a 700,000 gallon tank to get a residual Cl2 of 1.5mg/L,
when the demand is 2.6mg/L?

Dosage = Demand + Residual Feed Cl2 (lbs) = (Vol, MG) x (Dosage, mg/l) x (8.34 lbs/gal)
(Decimal % Strength)
Dosage = 2.6mg/L + 1.5mg/L
Dosage = 4.1 mg/L Feed Cl2 (lbs) = (0.7MG) x (4.1 mg/l) x (8.34 lbs/gal)
(65/100)
Volume = 700,000 (0.7MG)
Feed Cl2 (lbs) = (0.7MG) x (4.1 mg/l) x (8.34 lbs/gal)
CL2 (HTH) = 65% (0.65) (0.65)
= 36.8 lbs

Rounding up….
37 lbs 34
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