WIOA – Water Industry Operator Certification Scheme

WIOA is the National certifying body in Australia

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

Attaining certified status indicates that an individual operator has a specific set of knowledge, skills, competence and experience which is recognised by the employer and the certifying body.

The actions of Operators who treat water, wastewater and recycled water have a direct impact on its quality and, consequently, may impact environmental and public health risks.

Acuario

Acuario is a web accessible solution to administer the national certification scheme.

The development of the online certification system has been supported by the Australian Services Union with residual funding from Government Skills Australia.

ACUARIO - Certification Management Portal

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.

Certified Water Treatment Operators also benefit a range of other stakeholders in the water industry:

Employers

Employers can be confident in the work of employees, knowing that staff members who are Certified have the skills for the occupation and are committed to excellence in their role.

Career pathways

Job seekers and other 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

Private industry employers who insisting on using certified personnel ensure they are practising sound risk management which can often provide a point of difference and a competitive advantage in seeking new work.

Environment

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

Consumers and the general community 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.

Certification for Operators

How do l become certified?

Applications cannot be processed unless all of the relevant information and supporting documentation is provided.

1 Apply

Complete the Application Form which includes personal information and Supplier/Authority (employer) information.

Payment of the Application Fee ($110 inc GST)*.

2 Training

Provide evidence of the satisfactory completion of accredited training under the nationally recognised Water Training Package (NWP).  Training completed must cover the fit for purpose units of competencies as identified in the System Complexity Rating completed by the Supplier/Authority.  Registered Training Organisations (RTO) are the only training providers that can supply the necessary documentation (called Statements of Attainment) that verify an applicant has met the training requirement to all certification.

The system complexity rating outlines the training requirements and Statement of Attainment would be required covering:

  • NWP units matching ALL plant processes operated
  • Mandatory NWP units as specified at the system complexity rating level

Each individual application must be supported by evidence of completion of accredited training such as Certificates, Statements of Attainment or official student records from an RTO.  All documentation supplied will be verified as an accurate copy by the Supplier/Authority and WIOA will undertake random audits of documentation supplied.

In accordance with the Framework, WIOA will only recognise accredited training completed in accordance with the National Water Training Package (NWP) or any subsequent version of the Training Package. Applicants with qualifications obtained from studies associated with training packages prior to NWP01 will be required to upgrade their qualification to meet the requirements of the current Water Training Package.

3 Workplace Evidence Report

Complete the Workplace Evidence Report that documents the applicant’s competence and experience (capability). The Workplace Evidence Report is signed off by the Supplier/Authority and must meet the requirements of the system as identified in the System Complexity Rating.

4 WIOA Code of Conduct

Complete the WIOA Code of Conduct included in the Application Form.

5 Application Processed

WIOA will process the application and may if necessary request more information or clarification. Once your application has been initially evaluated, you will be notified of the decision in writing within 21 days.

6 Certification Fee

When all the requirements of the WIOA Water Industry Operator Certification Scheme are met, WIOA will notify both the applicant and the Supplier/Authority.

Payment of certification fee ($440 inc GST)*

7 Certification Awarded

Certification is valid for 5 years from the date of approval.

* Fees are non-refundable and are current as at January 2020.

Applications can be lodged by Email: info@wioa.org.au
WIOA Certification
P.O. Box 6012, Shepparton, Victoria 3630

Forms

Certification

 Word Documents

  PDF

Re-Certification

 Word Documents

  PDF

Excel Document

Certification for Drinking Water Suppliers, Wastewater Authorities or Recycled Water Suppliers

Suitably Qualified Persons

Drinking Water Suppliers, Wastewater Authorities or Recycled Water Suppliers are required to nominate one or more individuals to undertake the role of a “suitably qualified person”, this must be completed prior to any individual applications being submitted.

It is for the Supplier’s Chief Executive to determine an appropriate delegate, however, as a guide, it should be the most senior responsible technical officer within the organisation.

A suitably qualified person is someone who has sufficient relevant theoretical experience and/or at least three years operational experience in the unit process such that they are able to assess the competency of others, and is required to:

  • Provide information on the supplier/authority processes
  • Act as the contact person for WIOA on Certification
  • Verify the applicants operating experience within their business, including dates of employment
  • Endorse that the operator seeking certification is suitably competent for certification

All individuals must be signed off as being competent by a suitably qualified person and WIOA will maintain a register of all suitably qualified persons, that will be updated on an annual basis.

Application Form to be a Suitably Qualified Person to be completed by the Business/Authority Operations Manager or equivalent.

Application form to be a Suitably Qualified Person (Word)

Application form to be a Suitably Qualified Person (PDF)

Maintaining Certification

Certified operators must attain and maintain competencies to ensure their skills remain relevant and keep pace with changes to treatment processes, technology and consumer / regulatory expectations. Two potential pathways allow certified operators to ensure their competencies and capabilities identified during initial certification remain current. Re-certification pathways include:

1 Professional Development

Certified Operators choose to re-certify by participation in professional development activities. Professional development does not just include training programs or conferences.

Professional Development Categories for Maintaining Certification

Accredited Training

Accredited Training

Australia’s Vocational Education Training (VET) system comprises nationally recognised training packages developed with comprehensive input from industry to ensure that training is relevant to the workplace.  For our industry, the Water Training Package has been developed and contains common standards and assessment guidelines for a range of Units of Competence covering a variety of water industry functions.

Undertaking training in accordance with the Water Training Package is referred to as Accredited training.  Accredited training must be delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) who issue Statements of Attainment for individual training units completed.  These can eventually lead to the awarding of a formal qualification such as a Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma.

Recertification points can only be awarded for Accredited training if Statements of Attainment are provided and on the condition that none of the Units of Competence claimed were required as part of the initial certification process.

Each individual application must be supported by evidence of completion of accredited training such as Certificates, Statements of Attainment or official student records from an approved RTO.  All documentation supplied will be verified as an accurate copy by the water business and WIOA will undertake random audits of documentation supplied.

For more information on CPD points allocation for accredited training, refer to  WIOA CPD Activities For Recertification

Non-Accredited Training

Non-Accredited Training

Compulsory Non-Accredited Training

There may be a requirement by a State/Territory regulator for Certified operators to undertake either refresher training or a skills update/refresher course as part of the re-certification process.  This training may be Accredited (delivered by an RTO) or non-accredited (delivered by a person or organisation approved by the individual regulator).

Re-certification points can only be awarded if evidence of attendance and completion of the appropriate course is provided, and WIOA will undertake random audits of documentation supplied.

Non-Accredited Training

There are a range of non-accredited training and Professional Development opportunities available to certified operators.  Completion of non-accredited training courses or seminars is designed to directly update or refresh the technical skills of certified operators.

Re-certification points can only be awarded if evidence of attendance and completion of the appropriate course or refresher is provided.  Seminars or workshops provided directly by WIOA would not require formal documentation as WIOA retains a list of attendees.  For all other courses, seminars or workshops, WIOA would require documentation outlining:

  • The date, time and duration of the course
  • The provider/specific trainer that delivered the course
  • The content/topics and description of the items covered
  • Any assessment undertaken and the result of the assessment.

Provided it covers the above information, evidence of attendance from the training provider would be considered appropriate.

WIOA will undertake random audits of documentation supplied.

Examples of  evidence/templates for Non-Accredited Training:

Other Activities

Other Activities

There are a range of “other” Professional Development opportunities available to certified operators.

Conferences and Events

Points are awarded for attendance at a range of events on the understanding that the certified operator will have the opportunity to be exposed to the latest in information presented during the technical component of the event or through exposure to equipment, products and new technology as part of an industry exhibition.  In order to encourage a broad range of development, a number of categories at this level have their points capped for each re-certification period.

Conferences or events provided directly by WIOA would not require formal documentation as WIOA retains a list of attendees.  For all other events, WIOA would require detailed documentation outlining:

  • The date, time and duration of the event
  • The provider of the event
  • The nature of the event and the program.
  • Some form of evidence that the certified operator actually attended.

WIOA will undertake random audits of documentation supplied.

Technical Presentations

Points are awarded for formal participation and undertaking technical presentations at industry events.  In recognition of the time, effort and technical understanding that must be developed and demonstrated, there are more points offered in these categories than for the previous category of purely “attending” and event.

Conferences or events provided directly by WIOA would not require formal documentation as WIOA retains a list of attendees.  For all other events, WIOA would require detailed documentation outlining:

  • The date, time and duration of the event
  • The provider of the event
  • The nature of the event and the program.
  • Some form of evidence that the certified operator actually presented.

WIOA will undertake random audits of documentation supplied.

Awards & Recognition

There is a range of awards available to certified operators all with differing technical, participation and reporting requirements.  WIOA will review any applications in this category on a case-by-case basis.

For all awards, WIOA would require detailed documentation outlining:

  • The details of the award
  • The provider of the award
  • The nature of the award and the outputs required
  • Some form of evidence that the certified operator satisfactorily met and delivered on all the award requirements.

Publishing

There is a range of publications available to certified operators all with differing technical, content and author requirements.  WIOA will review any applications in this category on a case-by-case basis.

For more information on points allocations for Other Activities, refer to  WIOA CPD Activities For Recertification

For more information specific to webinars and webcasts, refer to Webinar Information and Source List

The CPD Activity Approval Template, can be used to describe the professional development undertaken and attach photos/documents as evidence:

Significant Workplace Project

Significant Workplace Project

WIOA recognises that once an operator has been employed in the water industry for a significant period of time (minimum of 10 years), the scope to undertake additional relevant training courses and/or other relevant professional development opportunities in order to maintain certified status reduces.

WIOA also recognises that the technical skills of many experienced operators are often utilised to undertake projects designed to deliver operational improvements or process optimisation outcomes.

In recognition of this important technical work, WIOA is prepared to consider and recognise a significant workplace project, provided adequate documentation supporting the extent of the project undertaken is supplied and that the scope of the project undertaken would be considered to be outside the scope of normal duties of the certified operator.

In order to evaluate the extent of a Significant Workplace Project, and the number of points for which it may be eligible, WIOA would require detailed documentation outlining:

  • The details of the project
  • The need for the project
  • A detailed project methodology outlining the steps taken in undertaking the project
  • A project report outlining the outcomes of any investigations or works completed including but not limited to any time, cost savings or Workplace Health and Safety improvements delivered
  • Project participants and nature of the contribution of each (time, expertise, skills)
  • Endorsement of the project, outcomes and project report as predominantly the work of the certified operator by the “suitably qualified person”.

Significant Workplace Project Template

Exceptional Activities

Exceptional Activities

WIOA recognises that once an operator has been employed in the water industry for a significant period of time (minimum of 10 years), the scope to undertake additional relevant training courses and/or other relevant professional development opportunities in order to maintain certified status reduces.

When determining the ongoing Certification status of an operator, WIOA will consider and recognise exceptional activities provided adequate documentation supporting the extent of the activities undertaken is supplied.  Just doing the job well, or without incident is not necessarily an activity that will qualify for exceptional activity points.

In order to evaluate the extent of an Exceptional Activity, and the number of points for which it may be eligible, WIOA would require detailed documentation outlining:

  • The details of the activity
  • The need for the activity
  • A detailed activity methodology outlining the steps taken in undertaking the activity
  • A report outlining the outcomes of the activity including but not limited to: any time, cost savings or Workplace Health and Safety improvements delivered
  • Activity participants and the nature of the involvement by the applicant, this should include information on the applicants contribution to the project (time, expertise, skills)
  • Endorsement of the activity, outcomes and activity report as predominantly the work of the certified operator by the “suitably qualified person”.

Workplace Mentoring Program Template

2 Audit / Demonstration of Current Competence

The Drinking Water Supplier, or Wastewater Authority or Recycled Water Supplier or the Certified Operator may elect to undertake a Certification audit within three (3) months of the expiry of their Certification. The Certification audit shall be performed by an operationally competent person, who is independent of the Drinking Water Supplier, Wastewater Authority or Recycled Water Supplier, and who is approved or nominated by the Certifying Body. The Certification audit will be undertaken using an appropriate audit methodology/tool.

Eligibility & Appeals

Certification Woman
Certified Operator

Certified Operator

A Certified Operator has operational responsibility for treatment processes or facilities. Duties performed will range from basic monitoring, sampling, testing and reporting, through to chemical dosing, control and optimisation of treatment processes.

The Certified Operator may have responsibility for more than one system at any one time, so long as it is reasonable to expect that the Certified Operator’s current competencies cover all treatment processes for which they are responsible.

Operator in Training

Operator in Training

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

The Operator in Training is not Certified under this Framework, but the Drinking Water Supplier, or Wastewater or Recycled Water Supplier is to ensure that opportunities are afforded to the Operator in Training to develop all necessary competencies to achieve Certified status.

Individual Contractors

Individual Contractors

Individual Contractors are individuals (Certified Operators) who work within a Drinking Water Treatment System, or Wastewater or Recycled Water Treatment System and they must also meet the minimum conditions for Certification.

Appeals

Appeals

WIOCT Appeals Policy 2019 – Release Date 13-Dec-2018: – Water Industry Operator Certification Appeals Policy 2019

WIOCT Appeals Procedure 2019 – Release Date 13-Dec-2018: – Water Industry Operator Certification Appeals Procedure, July 2019

System Complexity Rating

The complexity of each treatment system forms the basis for determining and defining the competency and capability required of the certified operator.

Drinking Water

Drinking Water

Low 

Drinking water systems where no treatment barriers are in place or where disinfection is the only treatment barrier. Fluoridation of water may occur at this level. Skills required by Certified Operators will typically involve chemical dosing, sampling and/or reporting.

High 

Drinking water systems that have two or more treatment barriers in place. Fluoridation may also occur.

Wastewater

Wastewater

Low

Wastewater or Recycled Water Treatment Systems where low technology wastewater treatment processes are utilised. Low complexity treatment processes can include lagoons, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, Imhoff tanks or small package treatment plants that do not incorporate any activated sludge processes. Disinfection for reuse or discharge purposes may also be undertaken at this level.

Skills required by Certified Operators will typically involve monitoring, chemical dosing, sampling and/or reporting.

High

Wastewater or Recycled Water Treatment Systems where higher technology treatment processes are utilised. High technology wastewater treatment processes can include intermittent aeration/oxidation ditches, membrane bioreactors, biological nutrient removal and dissolved air flotation. Includes recycled water use for irrigation purposes where less than 2 recycling processes are employed.

Skills required by Certified Operators will typically involve monitoring, sampling, reporting, chemical dosing and control/optimisation of multiple processes in conventional and/or advanced wastewater or recycled water treatment systems.

Recycled Water

Recycled Water

No distinct low/ high classifications.

Will include a recycled water treatment plant where higher technology treatment processes are utilised specifically to provide an end product fit for use for a higher-end purpose. Typically, the recycled water produced is used to replace potable water in industrial applications, third pipe schemes, or irrigation (including but not limited to golf courses, sporting fields and public gardens). For these higher level end-uses there may be a Recycled Water Quality Management Plan in place.

High technology wastewater treatment processes can include membrane bioreactors and/or membrane filtration processes, desalination processes, chemical or biological nutrient removal, dissolved air flotation, plus a disinfection step, such as chlorine or UV, and possibly irrigation system management.