Water industry operator certification scheme

WIOA – Water Industry Operator Certification Schemes

WIOA is the National Certifying Body in Australia

Water
National

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The Certification Framework for Operators within Drinking Water Treatment Systems is underpinned by the need to ensure consumers are provided with safe drinking water. It provides an assurance to regulators, communities and consumers that Operators are competent to manage drinking water quality, as well as being capable of identifying and responding to water quality risks and incidents.

Water
Victoria

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The Victorian Framework for Water Treatment Operator Competencies – Best Practice Guidelines define the minimum training, qualification and competency standards that operators must attain and maintain in order to operate drinking water treatment facilities in Victoria. The Guidelines require operators to be “Certified” and WIOA operates the only Department of Health endorsed Certification Scheme.

Wastewater & Recycled Water National

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The Certification Framework for Operators within Wastewater and Recycled Water Treatment Systems is underpinned by the need to ensure that the environment and public health are protected, and that wastewater and recycled water that is provided to end users is safe and fit for purpose.

Certification provides an assurance to regulators, communities and the users of recycled water that Operators are competent to manage wastewater and recycled water quality, as well as being capable of identifying and responding to wastewater and recycled water quality risks and incidents.

Maintaining Certification

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The Certification Framework requires a re-certification process to ensure water industry personnel obtain the latest information allowing them to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

Operators must demonstrate via a point and evidence system, the amount of professional development and accredited training undertaken within a specified time frame.

Re-Certification Webinar

Recording of the Re-Certification webinar conducted on 12 December 2017

ReCertification Case Studies

Case studies from Re-Certification webinar – 12 December 2017

Benefits of Certification

Certified individuals – are skilled and committed water industry operations practitioner. Their status as a Certified Water Treatment Operator demonstrates their commitment to excellence by participating in a process to assess and update their knowledge. They can be confident that they are doing the job to meet best practice and this can bring advancement and recognition. All certified personnel will be listed on WIOA’s national database.

Certified Water Treatment Operators will also benefit:

Employers – knowing that staff members who are Certified have the skills for the occupation and are committed to excellence in their role.

Career pathway – job seekers and young people will recognise and benefit from the enhanced career pathways in the water industry resulting from the industry based certification system which specifies training, knowledge, skills and experience.

Private Industry Employers – by insisting on using certified personnel they are practising sound risk management.

The water industry – operationally can become more professional as a result of gaining, recognising and documenting the skills necessary for each occupation. As more and more operators become certified, the level of professionalism in the water industry will continue to improve.

The environment – will be better off as well-informed operational practices can prevent inappropriate off site discharges, conserve water and avoid damage to aquifers and waterways.

Consumers – will know that when their systems are operated by a Certified specialist, those people will have the skills and experience necessary to operate or manage a system efficiently, effectively and with minimal impact on public health.

Glossary

Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) The AQF is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. AQF Qualifications certify the knowledge and skills that a person has achieved through study, training, work and life experience. Units of competency in the National Water Industry Training Package identify to a particular AQF level based on the complexity, specialisation and breadth of the unit.

Certification A national program of recognition afforded to workers who have met industry defined minimum entry standards. This Certification Framework is underpinned by a need to ensure the provision of safe drinking water through minimum standards of certification for water treatment operators.

Certified Operator A Certified Operator has operational responsibility for water treatment processes or facilities. Duties performed will range from basic sampling, testing and reporting, through to chemical dosing, control and optimisation of treatment processes. The Certified Operator may have responsibility for more than one treatment systems at any one time, so long as it is reasonable to expect that drinking water quality and safety will be assured at all plants and the Certified Operator’s current competencies cover all treatment processes under the responsibility of that person.

Consumer A recipient of drinking water who is:
• An individual, community, city, town or state (public)
• A guest, customer or employee (private)

Drinking Water Supplier An organisation/enterprise (public or private) or, individual that provides drinking water for human consumption. The Drinking Water Supplier includes, but is not limited to:
• major urban utility,
• corporation
• local government authority,
• public or private entity,
• small, regional or remote,
• wholesaler, retailer or contractor
Any organisation contracted to manage a Drinking Water System (or part thereof) is considered to be a Drinking Water Supplier.

Drinking Water Treatment System Are a component of the Drinking Water Supply System as defined at Element 3.2 of the ADWG. Drinking Water Treatment Systems provide water intended for human consumption that;
• Does not pass through any treatment barriers; or
• Is treated by a single barrier or multiple barrier drinking water treatment facility.
Where a water treatment facility exists, the Drinking Water Treatment System is inclusive of downstream chemical dosing and disinfection.
It does not include direct or indirect drinking water recycling/re-use schemes.

Independent Contractors For the purposes of this framework, an independent contractor may provide expertise and services to other Drinking Water Suppliers; Independent Contractors are not considered to be Drinking Water Suppliers. They are individuals (Certified Operators) who work within a Drinking Water System and must meet
the minimum conditions stated in this Certification Framework.

Operator in Training An Operator who is gaining experience under the guidance of a Certified Operator performing routine tasks and undertaking relevant competency development which culminates in attainment of relevant competencies (from NWP07).

Certification Framework The Operator in Training is not certified under this framework, but the Drinking Water Supplier is to ensure that opportunities are afforded to the person to develop all necessary competencies to achieve certified status.

Registered Training Organisation Training providers that are registered by a national or state regulator to deliver Nationally
Recognised Training in the Australian Vocational Education and Training Sector.

Qualification Issued under the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) as a result of completing a formal training and/or assessment pathway. Qualifications are defined in Industry Training Packages or accredited through the national,
state or territory accrediting body for Vocational Education and Training (VET).

Treatment Process Any process within a Water Treatment System that changes the physical, chemical or biological properties of water derived from any source in order to make it safe for human consumption or to make it comply with a regulatory order relating to human consumption.
Treatment processes include, but are not limited to:
• Primary and Secondary Disinfection
• Coagulation and Flocculation
• Reverse Osmosis
• Adsorption
• Sedimentation and Clarification
• Dissolved Air Flotation
• Granular Filtration
• Membrane Filtration
• Ion Exchange Fluoridation
• Softening/Hardening
• Chemical Dosing

Unit of Competency A single component of a qualification or a stand-alone unit that has been accredited through the same process as a Qualification.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) Post-compulsory education and training, excluding degree and higher level programs delivered by higher education institutions (Registered Training Organisations), which provides people with occupational or work-related knowledge and skills. VET also includes programs which provide the basis for subsequent vocational programs or higher education programs.