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Apprenticeship training course

Water process operative (level 2)

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Information about Water process operative (level 2)

Carry out operations in a clean water or waste water treatment facility to ensure water safety.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • The water industry: the water cycle and key stakeholders: Regulators (Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT), Environment Agency (EA) and Health & Safety Executive (HSE), customers; Customer Experience Measure (CMEX).
  • Water process operative role; position in structure, limits of authority; escalation procedures.
  • Policy and procedures: operating manual, safety, emergencies, security, isolation – their purpose.
  • Health and safety legislation/regulations: Health & Safety at Work, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), manual handling, working in confined spaces, working at height, lone worker.
  • Dynamic risk assessments.
  • Health and safety equipment: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Harnesses, gas detectors and breathing apparatus. Their purpose, checking and storage requirements.
  • Environmental legislation and practice. Environmental Protection Act - safe disposal of waste.
  • First line operational maintenance: different types - cleaning, greasing, and washing, removing debris and clearing blockages.
  • Maintenance tools and equipment: rakes, spades, pressure washers, brushes, spanners.
  • Telemetry and monitoring processes; monitoring variables including flow, quality, turbidity (particles), chemical usage. Limits, consequences of being outside limits.
  • Water process fault finding techniques – visual, flow, odour, listening.
  • Chemicals: delivery and storage requirements - permits, limits.
  • Calculations: dilutions/concentrations, flows, conversions.
  • Clean water process operative. Different clean water treatment processes and purpose.
  • Clean water process operative. Clean water operating parameters, consequences of failure, impact of weather conditions on treatment processes.
  • Clean water process operative. Clean water treatment work assets and equipment: pumps, pressure vessels, reservoirs, tanks, valves.
  • Clean water process operative. Consequence of asset failure on clean water process.
  • Clean water process operative. Different types of water sources.
  • Clean water process operative. Water usage diurnal (daily) profile and impact of bursts; water cycle, flooding, drought, industries.
  • Clean water process operative. Clean water sampling requirements: different types of samples, sample points, storage, labelling, safe disposal, recording results, permits and consent parameters.
  • Clean water process operative. Chemicals used in clean water process: chlorine, coagulants, disinfectant chemicals, pH correction, orthophosphoric acid, hexafluorisilic acid polymers and ozone; their use, dosage and health and safety risks.
  • Clean water process operative. Water as a food source – importance of wholesomeness, why it is treated.
  • Clean water process operative. Clean water principles/procedures; Water Hygiene – Blue Card, Leptospirosis Card (Weil’s disease).
  • Clean water process operative. Clean water equipment: testing, cleaning, segregation, disinfection process and hygienic storage requirements.
  • The water industry: the water cycle and key stakeholders: Regulators (Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT), Environment Agency (EA) and Health & Safety Executive (HSE), customers; Customer Experience Measure (CMEX).
  • Water process operative role; position in structure, limits of authority; escalation procedures.
  • Policy and procedures: operating manual, safety, emergencies, security, isolation – their purpose.
  • Health and safety legislation/regulations: Health & Safety at Work, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), manual handling, working in confined spaces, working at height, lone worker.
  • Dynamic risk assessments.
  • Health and safety equipment: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Harnesses, gas detectors and breathing apparatus. Their purpose, checking and storage requirements.
  • Environmental legislation and practice. Environmental Protection Act - safe disposal of waste.
  • First line operational maintenance: different types - cleaning, greasing, and washing, removing debris and clearing blockages.
  • Maintenance tools and equipment: rakes, spades, pressure washers, brushes, spanners.
  • Telemetry and monitoring processes; monitoring variables including flow, quality, turbidity (particles), chemical usage. Limits, consequences of being outside limits.
  • Water process fault finding techniques – visual, flow, odour, listening.
  • Chemicals: delivery and storage requirements - permits, limits.
  • Calculations: dilutions/concentrations, flows, conversions.
  • Waste water process operative. Different waste water treatment processes and purpose. Primary, secondary, tertiary, preliminary, sludge.
  • Waste water process operative. Waste water operating parameters, consequences of failure, impact of weather conditions on treatment processes.
  • Waste water process operative. Waste water treatment work assets and equipment: primary settlement tanks, biological filters, activated sludge plants, final settlement tank, digesters. Flow meters, pumps, screens.
  • Waste water process operative. Consequence of waste water asset failure.
  • Waste water process operative. Different types waste: domestic, tanker, trade.
  • Waste water process operative. Flow: volumes, permits, catchment area consent and impact of weather conditions.
  • Waste water process operative. Waste water sampling requirements: different types of samples, sample points, storage, labelling, safe disposal, recording results, permits and consent parameters.
  • Waste water process operative. Chemicals used in clean water process: Nutriox, Ferric, Chloride, Sulphate, Ferris Chloride, Polyelectrolytes, Aluminium Sulphate.
  • Waste water process operative. Impact of operational performance on customer and environment - smell, pollution.
  • Waste water process operative. Commercial value of sludge.
  • Waste water process operative. Sludge tank monitoring requirements and dry solids.
  • Waste water process operative. Health hazards from working with waste water.

Skills

  • Organise and prioritise work.
  • Identify risks and control measures.
  • Follow health and safety and environmental legislation, regulations and practice. For example, apply control measures, wear PPE, harness, gas detector and breathing apparatus required for the task.
  • Read and interpret information/data.
  • Identify trends.
  • Undertake sensory analysis.
  • Use measuring equipment.
  • Apply fault finding techniques.
  • Determine action and follow procedure.
  • Undertake first line operational maintenance of assets.
  • Select and use tools and equipment; check/calibrate equipment.
  • Undertake first line maintenance of tools and equipment, for example cleaning.
  • Store tools and equipment.
  • Maintain housekeeping: tidy, segregate and dispose of waste.
  • Audit and request chemical and or consumables stock.
  • Check chemical deliveries – quality/content.
  • Communicate – verbal.
  • Use technology.
  • Record information/complete documentation.
  • Prepare and use chemicals.
  • Clean water. Take clean water sample; process.
  • Clean water process operative. Operate clean water treatment work assets.
  • Clean water process operative. Apply clean water treatment processes.
  • Organise and prioritise work.
  • Identify risks and control measures.
  • Follow health and safety and environmental legislation, regulations and practice. For example, apply control measures, wear PPE, harness, gas detector and breathing apparatus required for the task.
  • Read and interpret information/data.
  • Identify trends.
  • Undertake sensory analysis.
  • Use measuring equipment.
  • Apply fault finding techniques.
  • Determine action and follow procedure.
  • Undertake first line operational maintenance of assets.
  • Select and use tools and equipment; check/calibrate equipment.
  • Undertake first line maintenance of tools and equipment, for example cleaning.
  • Store tools and equipment.
  • Maintain housekeeping: tidy, segregate and dispose of waste.
  • Audit and request chemical and or consumables stock.
  • Check chemical deliveries – quality/content.
  • Communicate – verbal.
  • Use technology.
  • Record information/complete documentation.
  • Waste water process operative. Take waste water sample; process.
  • Waste water process operative. Operate waste water treatment work assets.
  • Waste water. Apply waste water treatment processes.

Behaviours

  • Prioritises on health, safety and environment for example, challenges unsafe practice, says ‘no’ where action could have negative impact.
  • Takes responsibility for work for example, completes allocated work, takes proactive approach, knows own limitations and asks for help where required.
  • Professional for example, ethical – does the right thing, trust-worthy; presents positive image of self and company – work attire worn, polite and respectful
  • Team player for example, keeps other informed.
  • Customer focus for example, polite, courteous.
  • Prioritises on health, safety and environment for example, challenges unsafe practice, says ‘no’ where action could have negative impact.
  • Takes responsibility for work for example, completes allocated work, takes proactive approach, knows own limitations and asks for help where required.
  • Professional for example, ethical – does the right thing, trust-worthy; presents positive image of self and company – work attire worn, polite and respectful
  • Team player for example, keeps other informed.
  • Customer focus for example, polite, courteous.
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Engineering and manufacturing
Qualification level
2
Equal to GCSE
Course duration
18 months
Maximum funding
£9,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Water technical operator
  • Water production technician
  • Water plant operator
  • Water production operative
  • Water process assistant
  • Waste water operational technician
  • Waste water process operator
  • Waste water operator
  • Waste water process technician
  • Sewage operative

View more information about Water process operative (level 2) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.