Water System Operations (WSO) Water Treatment, Grade I

Covers everything you need to know to pass the first tests.

Great book. Lots of helpful things in it for studying for my certification exam.

Suprise, this is a book

It’s a good book for treatment lessons, but my god is it boring

Exactly what my husband needed for class

This book contains all of the information needed to pass the entry level State certification for Water Treatment Operators. It is written in non-engineering language that is suitable for operators. The Grade 2 and 3&4 books in this series add more advanced information needed for the higher level certification exams. At this price this is the best reference for operator certification study.

Two stars because it gives a lot of information. Many times throughout the book I found myself thinking that the information was far more in depth than should be necessary for a Grade 1 Operator. As it turns out, much of the information is also printed in the Grade 2 Water Treatment book, word for word. The chapter study questions answers often can't be found in the chapter. I (wrongly) assumed the exam would be more along the lines of the treatment process, but felt it was more geared towards a basic worker performing random tasks at a treatment plant. The videos the book refers to feel old and rush through the information. I passed my test, but feel that was due to my previous education and being able to figure it out. This book didn't inspire any confidence, before or during the exam.

I passed my test but no thanks to this book. It is full of misprints, like the optimal pH range for alum being listed differently at different spots in the book, and a lot of the questions at the end of the chapters aren't covered in the book (manganese greensand filters for example, but there are many more). My test had a lot of safety questions, which this book ignores. Chemical transport and storage, which this book barely touches. It also isn't very helpful for the math. It has like 50 pages on dimensional analysis, but not any example problems you will have on the test. Out of the 100 questions I had, I'd say like four were in this book. The book is just too vague and leaves out the details the test is going to ask you.

This review summarizes experience with this water treatment study guide - a book that's simultaneously rewarding and frustrating. The guide is indeed a thorough resource. It impressively covers everything necessary to pass initial water treatment exams. I found the depth of the material beneficial, and it often felt as though it offered more information than would be needed for a Grade 1 Operator. Some may find this surplus of knowledge overwhelming, but it does provide a broad understanding of the field. The guide also contains numerous helpful elements for studying, from extensive lessons to chapter-end questions. These features made it a crucial part of the certification exam preparation process. However, the book isn't without its shortcomings, it suffers from issues of accuracy. There were instances of misspellings, errors, and misprints. At one point, even the optimal pH range for alum was inconsistently listed. Moreover, the chapter-end questions often referred to topics not covered within the same chapter, adding to the confusion. Its treatment of certain vital subjects, such as safety, chemical transport and storage, and math problems, was surprisingly limited. For an aspiring water treatment operator, such topics are essential, and the book's sparse coverage of these areas was disappointing. Despite these shortcomings, it's important to mention that the book is a solid starting point for beginners. However, if you're aiming to pass your exam with confidence, additional resources are recommended. That's where the resources at Water Prep Co come in. Their practice tests were an incredible supplement to this book, filling in the gaps and providing much-needed test practice. The questions were relevant and comprehensive, accurately reflecting the certification exams' format and content. Water Prep Co's tests were challenging yet approachable, ensuring a thorough understanding of the material while boosting confidence before the actual exam. If there's one thing this book does right, it's to serve as a stepping stone towards the resources at Water Prep Co. To summarize, while this guide is abundant in information and provides a reasonable foundation, it leaves room for improvement. However, when used in conjunction with resources like the practice tests at Water Prep Co, it becomes part of an effective exam preparation strategy. High praise goes to Water Prep Co for making the certification exam an achievable goal.