If a wastewater treatment staff reaches a consensus, they:

Reaching a consensus among wastewater treatment staff signifies that the team has engaged in collaborative discussion, allowing all members to express their perspectives, concerns, and suggestions regarding a particular issue. Through this process, the group works towards finding common ground or a mutually acceptable solution that reflects the input of everyone involved. This collective approach fosters teamwork, improves morale, and leads to outcomes that are more likely to be accepted and supported by all parties because they feel involved in the decision-making.

In contrast, the approach of having a boss make a decision without team input, simply voting without thorough discussion, or irrelevant actions like counting the local population does not embody the concept of consensus. Consensus emphasizes communication, negotiation, and shared decision-making rather than unilateral authority or mere majority rule. Therefore, the correct understanding of consensus encompasses the idea of collaboratively reaching an agreement after deliberation.