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Apprenticeship training course

Water industry treatment process technician (level 3)

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Information about Water industry treatment process technician (level 3)

Maintain site process standards for water or wastewater.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • Overview of water and wastewater industries. Regulators and stakeholders: Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT), Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), Environment Agency (EA), and Health, Safety Executive (HSE), and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - roles and powers.
  • Technician’s role. Limits of autonomy. Different teams and functions involved in operations: how they work together.
  • Business operation considerations: how activities may impact customers, financial constraints, ethical business practices. Customer Experience Measure (CMEX). Regulatory and legislative performance measures.
  • Water and wastewater science. Liquids, gases, and solid states commonly found in water industry. Elements, molecules, compounds, and ions. The pH scale, acids, and alkalinity. Physical, chemical, and biological process definition. Dissolved oxygen in treatment and processes.
  • Maths commonly used in the water and wastewater industries. S.I units. Calculations. Standard form. Measurement of distance, area, volume and flow, and unit conversion. Simple transposition of formula. Routine flow and hydraulics theories, principles, and calculations.
  • Planned preventative maintenance of monitoring equipment requirements. Asset health check requirements.
  • Energy performance monitoring methods. Energy consumption reduction guidelines. Tariff management.
  • Isolation, shutdown, and recommissioning of process streams requirements and procedures.
  • Process control systems. Types of equipment used for process control operations and the functions they perform, set-points, and alarm values.
  • Operational and quality procedures. Escalation procedures. What they are and how to use them.
  • Different types of incidents and emergency situations (internal and external): pollution, loss of process, security, weather, and accidents: their potential impact. Incident management and procedures.
  • Chemical awareness. Transport, acceptance and use of chemicals. Agreement of Dangerous Goods transported by Road regulation (ADR). Chemical delivery requirements. Chemical control methods.
  • Optimisation in the treatment process: what it means and how it can be achieved.
  • Asset optimisation and performance: quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Fault finding and problem-solving techniques: root cause analysis and diagnostics.
  • Health and Safety at Work Act – responsibilities. Management of health and safety at work regulations. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Risks and hazards. Risk assessments and controlling risk. Control methods for harmful substances and chemicals, effluents, and sludge. Health and safety signage. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Working in confined spaces: safety equipment and lifting equipment. Harnesses, gas detectors and respiratory apparatus. Manual handling. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Asbestos awareness. Lone working. Working at height. Working time directive. First aid. Emergency procedures. Drug and alcohol awareness. Permits to work. Storage of tools, equipment, and materials. ATEX compliance (safety requirements of the workplace and equipment used in explosive atmosphere). Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR). Pressure System Safety Regulations (PSSR). Provision of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). Safe isolation of plant and equipment (lockout, tagout).
  • Environment and sustainability. Environmental Protection Act. Types of pollution and control measures. Environmental permitting and discharge consents. Operator Self Monitoring (OSM): sampling requirements. Monitoring emissions to air, land, and water (MCERTS). Principles of sustainable development. Waste management and waste streams. Invasive species and Duty of Care in the Environmental aspect.
  • Information and digital technology: email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, remote working platforms, work and asset management systems. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
  • Documentation requirements for example maintenance records, asset check records.
  • Planning, prioritising, work scheduling, and time management techniques.
  • Communication techniques: verbal, written and electronic. Adapting style to audience.
  • Team working and culture. How to work as part of a team, the importance of establishing and meeting the requirements of different roles. Negotiation and conflict management techniques.
  • Equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
  • Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations. Consequences of non-compliance.
  • National water hygiene: importance of water, water as a carrier of disease, potential contamination and its consequences and preventing contamination.
  • Water quality requirements. Drinking water safety plans. Water quality parameters and the role of water quality alarms. Water quality incident investigation requirements. Water quality records. Consequences of failure.
  • DWI asset and site security requirements: water storage alarms.
  • Water quality monitoring, sampling, and testing requirements and techniques. Equipment, resources, and materials used. Sampling points.
  • Raw water and catchment management permitting and protection.
  • Treatment processes: abstraction, clarification, coagulation, disinfection, and filtration. Water works design flows - impact of flow change on treatment process. Hydraulics principles. Objectives, parameters, variables, optimal performance measures (quality, cost, and waste) and the consequences of sub-optimal performance. Waste stream processes.
  • Plant shutdown and re-start procedures: planned and reactive. Impact and causes of shutdown.
  • Distribution system protection: disinfection, chemical treatment, flow, and valve operation controls.
  • Treated water storage point objectives and requirements.
  • Overview of water and wastewater industries. Regulators and stakeholders: Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT), Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), Environment Agency (EA), and Health, Safety Executive (HSE), and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - roles and powers.
  • Technician’s role. Limits of autonomy. Different teams and functions involved in operations: how they work together.
  • Business operation considerations: how activities may impact customers, financial constraints, ethical business practices. Customer Experience Measure (CMEX). Regulatory and legislative performance measures.
  • Water and wastewater science. Liquids, gases, and solid states commonly found in water industry. Elements, molecules, compounds, and ions. The pH scale, acids, and alkalinity. Physical, chemical, and biological process definition. Dissolved oxygen in treatment and processes.
  • Maths commonly used in the water and wastewater industries. S.I units. Calculations. Standard form. Measurement of distance, area, volume and flow, and unit conversion. Simple transposition of formula. Routine flow and hydraulics theories, principles, and calculations.
  • Planned preventative maintenance of monitoring equipment requirements. Asset health check requirements.
  • Energy performance monitoring methods. Energy consumption reduction guidelines. Tariff management.
  • Isolation, shutdown, and recommissioning of process streams requirements and procedures.
  • Process control systems. Types of equipment used for process control operations and the functions they perform, set-points, and alarm values.
  • Operational and quality procedures. Escalation procedures. What they are and how to use them.
  • Different types of incidents and emergency situations (internal and external): pollution, loss of process, security, weather, and accidents: their potential impact. Incident management and procedures.
  • Chemical awareness. Transport, acceptance and use of chemicals. Agreement of Dangerous Goods transported by Road regulation (ADR). Chemical delivery requirements. Chemical control methods.
  • Optimisation in the treatment process: what it means and how it can be achieved.
  • Asset optimisation and performance: quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Fault finding and problem-solving techniques: root cause analysis and diagnostics.
  • Health and Safety at Work Act – responsibilities. Management of health and safety at work regulations. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Risks and hazards. Risk assessments and controlling risk. Control methods for harmful substances and chemicals, effluents, and sludge. Health and safety signage. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Working in confined spaces: safety equipment and lifting equipment. Harnesses, gas detectors and respiratory apparatus. Manual handling. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Asbestos awareness. Lone working. Working at height. Working time directive. First aid. Emergency procedures. Drug and alcohol awareness. Permits to work. Storage of tools, equipment, and materials. ATEX compliance (safety requirements of the workplace and equipment used in explosive atmosphere). Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR). Pressure System Safety Regulations (PSSR). Provision of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). Safe isolation of plant and equipment (lockout, tagout).
  • Environment and sustainability. Environmental Protection Act. Types of pollution and control measures. Environmental permitting and discharge consents. Operator Self Monitoring (OSM): sampling requirements. Monitoring emissions to air, land, and water (MCERTS). Principles of sustainable development. Waste management and waste streams. Invasive species and Duty of Care in the Environmental aspect.
  • Information and digital technology: email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, remote working platforms, work and asset management systems. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
  • Documentation requirements for example maintenance records, asset check records.
  • Planning, prioritising, work scheduling, and time management techniques.
  • Communication techniques: verbal, written and electronic. Adapting style to audience.
  • Team working and culture. How to work as part of a team, the importance of establishing and meeting the requirements of different roles. Negotiation and conflict management techniques.
  • Equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
  • Treatment processes: preliminary treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary treatment, sludge treatment, and odour management. Wastewater works design flows - impact of flow change on treatment process.
  • Wastewater compliance and performance monitoring requirements: wastewater quality standards, sampling, analysis, and reporting.
  • Nature and sources of wastewater effluent and its impact on the environment.
  • Chemical, biological, microbiological, and physical characteristics of wastewater effluent and trade effluents.
  • Risks of working on wastewater treatment site – personal hygiene risks and requirements.
  • Configuration, operation, and performance requirements of types of sewerage systems and pumping stations: inter-stage pumping stations, detention tanks, combined sewer overflow screens (CSO). Pumps and associated ancillary equipment used.
  • Purpose, application, and impact of wastewater flows: volumes, permits, catchment area consent, and impact of weather conditions.

Skills

  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Follow alarm intervention procedures. Resolve alarm issues.
  • Inspect (planned) and check assets (reactive) and identify action.
  • Follow procedures to remove assets for routine maintenance and recommission.
  • Carry out validation or instrument checks of online equipment and identify action.
  • Monitor first line maintenance of process control equipment and instrumentation.
  • Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
  • Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement for example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Interrogate and interpret electronic control systems. For example, HMI or SCADA.
  • Use data monitoring and control systems to monitor and control equipment.
  • Inspect and check safety equipment: identify and take action.
  • Identify and instigate incident escalation procedures.
  • Apply site standards for housekeeping.
  • Conduct risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations and safe working practices and procedures.
  • Follow site security procedures.
  • Follow procedures for emergency situations.
  • Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements. For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
  • Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Complete work records.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security procedures. Comply with GDPR.
  • Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources to complete work tasks.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, stakeholders, or others. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
  • Select raw water source or blend of sources.
  • Monitor and control water abstraction.
  • Monitor and control water chemical dosing procedures.
  • Operate water process control equipment and instrumentation.
  • Take water samples.
  • Analyse and interpret on-site laboratory data and check against water process parameters.
  • Monitor and control water treatment processes and performance.
  • Monitor and control the effectiveness of disinfection.
  • Monitor and control waste stream processes and performance.
  • Apply procedures to shut-down, isolate, and re-commission water process streams.
  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Follow alarm intervention procedures. Resolve alarm issues.
  • Inspect (planned) and check assets (reactive) and identify action.
  • Follow procedures to remove assets for routine maintenance and recommission.
  • Carry out validation or instrument checks of online equipment and identify action.
  • Monitor first line maintenance of process control equipment and instrumentation.
  • Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
  • Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement for example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Interrogate and interpret electronic control systems. For example, HMI or SCADA.
  • Use data monitoring and control systems to monitor and control equipment.
  • Inspect and check safety equipment: identify and take action.
  • Identify and instigate incident escalation procedures.
  • Apply site standards for housekeeping.
  • Conduct risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations and safe working practices and procedures.
  • Follow site security procedures.
  • Follow procedures for emergency situations.
  • Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements. For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
  • Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Complete work records.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security procedures. Comply with GDPR.
  • Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources to complete work tasks.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, stakeholders, or others. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
  • Monitor and control incoming flows.
  • Control internal pumping station operations.
  • Operate wastewater process control equipment and instrumentation.
  • Take wastewater samples.
  • Analyse and interpret on-site testing data and monitoring equipment data and check against wastewater process parameters.
  • Monitor and maintain grit removal and screening assets.
  • Monitor and control the performance of sedimentation, biological and chemical treatment operations.
  • Monitor and control wastewater treatment processes and performance.
  • Apply procedures to shut-down, isolate and re-commission wastewater process streams.
  • Follow wastewater hygiene personal procedures.

Behaviours

  • Prioritise and promote public health, workplace health and safety, and security.
  • Prioritise and promote the environment and sustainability.
  • Apply a professional approach.
  • Take ownership for work and responsibility for the quality of work and impact on others.
  • Team-focus to meet work goals: support others.
  • Respond and adapt to work demands.
  • Committed to continued professional development to maintain and enhance competence in own area of practice.
  • Prioritise and promote public health, workplace health and safety, and security.
  • Prioritise and promote the environment and sustainability.
  • Apply a professional approach.
  • Take ownership for work and responsibility for the quality of work and impact on others.
  • Team-focus to meet work goals: support others.
  • Respond and adapt to work demands.
  • Committed to continued professional development to maintain and enhance competence in own area of practice.
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Engineering and manufacturing
Qualification level
3
Equal to A level
Course duration
36 months
Maximum funding
£16,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Water process controller
  • Water process technician
  • Water production operator
  • Water treatment process technician
  • Recycling technician
  • Sewage production operator
  • Treatment works controller
  • Wastewater process controller
  • Wastewater treatment process technician

View more information about Water industry treatment process technician (level 3) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.