- NWP261A - Operate and maintain water treatment plant and equipment
NWP261A
Operate and maintain water treatment plant and equipment
Application
This unit supports the attainment of skills and knowledge required for operational staff in water treatment plants with responsibility for the practical and safe operation of plant, equipment and processes. |
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1Operate water treatment processes. | 1.1 Identify reasons and requirements for treatment of water. 1.2 Identify major components of water treatment processes. 1.3 Identify and apply practices undertaken in water treatment processes. 1.4 Operate mechanicalequipment used in water treatment according to manufacturer specifications and organisational requirements. 1.5 Handle, use, store and dose chemicals according to organisational procedures. |
2Maintain items of equipment used in water treatment processes. | 2.1 Identify maintenance requirements and schedules according to standard operating procedures. 2.2 Complete maintenance and cleaning requirements of equipment. |
3Follow safety requirements for work in a water treatment plant. | 3.1 Identify and record hazards of working in a water treatment plant. 3.2 Identify and record operational requirements for the safe and effective use of equipment. 3.3 Select, fit and use safety equipment, including personal protective equipment. 3.4 Identify and apply safe work practices when handling chemicals and working in a water treatment plant. |
4Complete documentation. | 4.1 Complete records required for effective operation of a water treatment plant according to organisational requirements. 4.2 Identify and record range of data routinely collected. 4.3 Identify data that falls outside normal operating parameters and report for further action. |
Required Skills
This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit. |
Required skills: apply policies, procedures and standards recognise and report operational problems use safety equipment and personal protective equipment collect and test samples interpret material safety data sheets (MSDS) receive and apply instructions use literacy skills in regard to verbal and written communication in the workplace communicate with other employees and people that interact within work environment. |
Required knowledge: water cycle sources of water uses of water, both domestic and industrial physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of water within the water treatment process water quality characteristics reasons for water treatment types of treatment plants and processes major chemicals and equipment used water treatment plant hazards safety equipment reasons for data and information collection. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | The candidate should demonstrate the ability to operate water treatment processes within potable community and industrial water treatment plants in urban and rural areas including: applying water treatment processes, including operating mechanical equipment using chemicals safely and according to organisational procedures conducting regular routine inspection of mechanical equipment identifying hazards and applying appropriate safety procedures gathering and recording data reporting anomalies. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Access to the workplace and resources including: documentation that should normally be available in a water industry organisation relevant codes, standards and government regulations. Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities. Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required. Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed. Validity and sufficiency of evidence requires that: competency will need to be demonstrated over a period of time reflecting the scope of the role and the practical requirements of the workplace where the assessment is part of a structured learning experience the evidence collected must relate to a number of performances assessed at different points in time and separated by further learning and practice a decision of competence only taken at the point when the assessor has complete confidence in the person's competence over time and in various contexts all assessment that is part of a structured learning experience must include a combination of direct, indirect and supplementary evidence where assessment is for the purpose of recognition (RCC/RPL), the evidence provided will need to be authenticated and show that it represents competency demonstrated over a period of time assessment can be through simulated project-based activity and must include evidence relating to each of the elements in this unit. Questioning will be undertaken in a manner appropriate to the skill levels of the operator and cultural issues that may affect responses to the questions, and will reflect the requirements of the competency and the work being performed. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts. | |
Reasons and requirements for treatment include: | ensuring conformity with standards and guidelines, including Australian Drinking Water Guidelines removal of impurities, contaminants and pollution impact of impurities on water treatment processes relevant water legislation and regulations relating to water and the environment hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) operational philosophy. |
Water treatment processes may include: | screens coagulation and flocculation sedimentation clarification dissolved air flotation granular and membrane filtration disinfection aeration and oxidation fluoridation reverse osmosis ion exchange activated carbon adsorption calibration of dosing equipment softening backwash water treatment. |
Mechanicalequipment may include: | pumps, including: centrifugal positive displacement airlift blowers and compressors mixers and chemical batching facilities control valves electronic digital monitoring systems recording systems chemical testing and analysis equipment communication equipment flow meters alarms and process control systems centrifuge belt filter press screens, including raked bar screens manual or hydraulic equipment. |
Chemicals and aids used may include: | lime soda ash aluminium and iron coagulants polymers chlorine fluoride carbon dioxide. |
Sectors
Not applicable.
Competency Field
Treatment |
Employability Skills
This unit of competency contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.