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Apprenticeship training course

Water industry network technician (level 3)

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Information about Water industry network technician (level 3)

Water industry network technicians respond to incidents and monitor water or waste water networks, resolving issues or identifying action required.

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), Customer Council for Water (CCWater), Environment Agency (EA), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and highway authority, Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL) (wholesale and retail) – 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: Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) and Director General (DG) - response to written complaints (DG7).
  • Operational and quality systems and procedures. Escalation procedures. What they are and how to use them.
  • Digital documentation requirements (data logging) for example, maintenance records, and asset check records.
  • Water and wastewater science. Microbiological parameters. Chemical parameters. Aesthetic parameters. Prescribed concentration or value, or legal limits. Industry target standards: how they may vary across companies.
  • 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.
  • New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) - signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Access to Private Land, Streets and Wayleaves.
  • Duty to maintain apparatus in streets (Highway defect notices – section 81).
  • 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). Manual handling. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Asbestos awareness. Lone working. Confined spaces awareness. Awareness of excavation support. 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).
  • Asset security requirements and procedures.
  • Environment and sustainability. Environmental Protection Act. Types of pollution and control measures. Principles of sustainable development. Waste management and waste streams. Invasive species and Duty of Care in the Environmental aspect.
  • Fault finding and problem-solving techniques: root cause analysis and diagnostics. Optimisation.
  • Information and digital technology: email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, remote working platforms, and work and asset management systems. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
  • Communication techniques: verbal, written and electronic. Adapting style to audience.
  • Customer service techniques. Priority customers.
  • Documentation requirements for example maintenance records, asset check records.
  • 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.
  • The Water Supply (water fittings) regulations: waste, misuse, undue consumption, erroneous measurement, and contamination.
  • National water hygiene: importance of water, water as a carrier of disease, potential contamination and its consequences and preventing contamination.
  • Water 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.
  • Water quality requirements. Drinking water safety plans. Water quality parameters and the role of water quality alarms. Exceedance procedures. Water quality incident investigation requirements. Water quality records. Consequences of failure.
  • Restoration of supplies. Provision of alternative supplies.
  • Water network assets and design: pumps and control valves, air valves, PRVs (Pressure Reducing Valve), PSVs (Pressure Sustaining Valve), wash-outs and fire hydrants, pumping stations, and treated water storage.
  • Types of maintenance: planned preventative maintenance, and reactive. Calibration requirements.
  • Water quality monitoring, sampling, and testing requirements and techniques. Equipment, resources, and materials used. Sampling points.
  • Materials used in clean water networks (mains and services): regulation 31.
  • Valve and hydrant operations. Interruption to supply (DG3).
  • Water distribution network technician. Pressure management. Low Pressure Register (DG2).
  • Leakage monitoring methods and equipment: leak noise correlators, ground microphones, listening stick, acoustic loggers, and step test. 'Reactive' use of flow meter data (telemetry or nightlines).
  • Sources of leakage. High users. Unaccounted for properties. Change of use of buildings. Theft investigation. Domestic and commercial leakage. Determining pipe ownership. Notification process.
  • Overview of water and wastewater industries. Regulators and stakeholders: Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT), Customer Council for Water (CCWater), Environment Agency (EA), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and highway authority, Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL) (wholesale and retail) – 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: Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) and Director General (DG) - response to written complaints (DG7).
  • Operational and quality systems and procedures. Escalation procedures. What they are and how to use them.
  • Digital documentation requirements (data logging) for example, maintenance records, and asset check records.
  • Water and wastewater science. Microbiological parameters. Chemical parameters. Aesthetic parameters. Prescribed concentration or value, or legal limits. Industry target standards: how they may vary across companies.
  • 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.
  • New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) - signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Access to Private Land, Streets and Wayleaves.
  • Duty to maintain apparatus in streets (Highway defect notices – section 81).
  • 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). Manual handling. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Asbestos awareness. Lone working. Confined spaces awareness. Awareness of excavation support. 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).
  • Asset security requirements and procedures.
  • Environment and sustainability. Environmental Protection Act. Types of pollution and control measures. Principles of sustainable development. Waste management and waste streams. Invasive species and Duty of Care in the Environmental aspect.
  • Fault finding and problem-solving techniques: root cause analysis and diagnostics. Optimisation.
  • Information and digital technology: email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, remote working platforms, and work and asset management systems. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
  • Communication techniques: verbal, written and electronic. Adapting style to audience.
  • Customer service techniques. Priority customers.
  • Documentation requirements for example maintenance records, asset check records.
  • 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.
  • 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. Exceedance procedures. Water quality incident investigation requirements. Water quality records. Consequences of failure.
  • Leakage detection operations. Sources of leakage. High users. Unaccounted for properties. Change of use of buildings. Theft investigation. Customer side leakage. Determining pipe ownership.
  • Leakage performance monitoring methods and equipment: leak noise correlators, ground microphones, listening stick, acoustic loggers, and dynamic pressure modelling. Data logging operations. 'Proactive' use of flow meter data (telemetry or nightlines).
  • New leakage technology trials.
  • Water network assets and design: pumps and control valves, air valves, PRVs (Pressure Reducing Valve), PSVs (Pressure Sustaining Valve), wash-outs and fire hydrants, pumping stations, and treated water storage.
  • Materials used in clean water networks (mains and services): regulation 31.
  • Valve and hydrant operations.
  • Pressure management. Low Pressure Register (DG2).
  • Types of maintenance: planned preventative maintenance, and reactive. Calibration requirements.
  • Overview of water and wastewater industries. Regulators and stakeholders: Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT), Customer Council for Water (CCWater), Environment Agency (EA), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and highway authority, Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL) (wholesale and retail) – 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: Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) and Director General (DG) - response to written complaints (DG7).
  • Operational and quality systems and procedures. Escalation procedures. What they are and how to use them.
  • Digital documentation requirements (data logging) for example, maintenance records, and asset check records.
  • Water and wastewater science. Microbiological parameters. Chemical parameters. Aesthetic parameters. Prescribed concentration or value, or legal limits. Industry target standards: how they may vary across companies.
  • 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.
  • New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) - signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Access to Private Land, Streets and Wayleaves.
  • Duty to maintain apparatus in streets (Highway defect notices – section 81).
  • 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). Manual handling. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Asbestos awareness. Lone working. Confined spaces awareness. Awareness of excavation support. 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).
  • Asset security requirements and procedures.
  • Environment and sustainability. Environmental Protection Act. Types of pollution and control measures. Principles of sustainable development. Waste management and waste streams. Invasive species and Duty of Care in the Environmental aspect.
  • Fault finding and problem-solving techniques: root cause analysis and diagnostics. Optimisation.
  • Information and digital technology: email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, remote working platforms, and work and asset management systems. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
  • Communication techniques: verbal, written and electronic. Adapting style to audience.
  • Customer service techniques. Priority customers.
  • Documentation requirements for example maintenance records, asset check records.
  • 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.
  • 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. Nutrients. Odour.
  • Regulatory pollution reporting requirements and individuals limits of authority. Flooding reporting (DG5).
  • Sewer performance and flow surveys.
  • Working in confined spaces: safety equipment, respiratory apparatus, and lifting equipment.
  • Wastewater networks assets and design: new connections, adopted sewers, and private sewers. Pipework responsibilities and data capture.
  • Wastewater networks construction materials.
  • Wastewater network hydraulics and flow.
  • Sewer pumping station operations.
  • Types of maintenance: planned preventative maintenance, and reactive.
  • Combined sewer overflows operation and maintenance requirements.
  • Fat, oil, grease, and un-flushables procedures.
  • Water jetting operations.
  • Investigatory equipment operations for example, CCTV operations.
  • Sonde equipment for location of blockages or defects.

Skills

  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Complete risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, and safe working and security practices and procedures.
  • Set out and remove signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Conduct vehicle checks.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • 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.
  • Trace and locate network services.
  • Collect mitigation data or evidence.
  • Check technician tools and equipment. Conduct maintenance for example, calibration.
  • 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.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security requirements. Comply with GDPR.
  • Interpret digital mapping systems and update.
  • Complete work documentation: enter and record data and information using digital technology for example, hand-held devices.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, equipment, traffic management, and personnel.
  • Prioritise work activities.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Provide advice and guidance to customers.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
  • Apply and enforce water fittings regulations to customer installations for example, rainwater harvest systems and solar panels.
  • Read and interpret technical data for example, flows and pressures.
  • Install pressure gauges.
  • Conduct flow and pressure measurements.
  • Identify different valve types. Operate multiple valves, hydrants and washouts including isolation and recharging of mains.
  • Follow hygiene practices for example, disinfect equipment.
  • Select and use water quality testing equipment to test for water quality for example, chlorine, turbidity, taste, odour, and clarity.
  • Sample for chemical and micro-biological analysis.
  • Set up temporary loggers (flow and pressure).
  • Carry out network optimisation activity. For example, PRV, PSV, and air valve maintenance.
  • Select and use leakage detection tools and methods to identify source of leakage. For example, step testing, acoustic and electronic, data logging ground microphones, and correlators.
  • Inspect and check network assets for example, air values, PRV, critical values, fire hydrant. Identify action.
  • Select and use equipment to complete planned preventative maintenance. For example, conduct high velocity mains cleansing and low turnover flushing.
  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Complete risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, and safe working and security practices and procedures.
  • Set out and remove signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Conduct vehicle checks.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • 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.
  • Trace and locate network services.
  • Collect mitigation data or evidence.
  • Check technician tools and equipment. Conduct maintenance for example, calibration.
  • 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.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security requirements. Comply with GDPR.
  • Interpret digital mapping systems and update.
  • Complete work documentation: enter and record data and information using digital technology for example, hand-held devices.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, equipment, traffic management, and personnel.
  • Prioritise work activities.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Provide advice and guidance to customers.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
  • Install pressure gauges.
  • Conduct step testing using valves.
  • Follow hygiene practices for example, disinfect equipment.
  • Set up temporary loggers (flow and pressure).
  • Select and use initial leakage detection equipment and methods. For example, acoustic and electronic, data logging, ground microphones, and correlators.
  • Use specific leakage detection equipment and methods to identify leakage pin-point for example, network or customer side.
  • Conduct targeted DMA (district metered area) survey.
  • Read and interpret technical data for example, flows and pressures.
  • Access, download, and interpret data from pressure and flow loggers.
  • Test and assess application of innovative leakage equipment.
  • Apply maintenance practices to meters and loggers. Identify and arrange repairs.
  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Complete risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, and safe working and security practices and procedures.
  • Set out and remove signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Conduct vehicle checks.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • 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.
  • Trace and locate network services.
  • Collect mitigation data or evidence.
  • Check technician tools and equipment. Conduct maintenance for example, calibration.
  • 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.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security requirements. Comply with GDPR.
  • Interpret digital mapping systems and update.
  • Complete work documentation: enter and record data and information using digital technology for example, hand-held devices.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, equipment, traffic management, and personnel.
  • Prioritise work activities.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Provide advice and guidance to customers.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
  • Trace or locate drain or sewer.
  • Complete visual inspection to check assets for example, combined sewer overflow, non-return valves, flow control devices, and storage tanks. Identify action.
  • Use dye testing to trace and investigate cross or illegal connections.
  • Use digital inspection equipment for example, CCTV to check assets. Identify action.
  • Use sonde equipment.
  • Select and use blockage removal equipment for example, rods and jetting equipment.
  • Select and use equipment to apply first line maintenance techniques for example, replace seals, lubricate, de-silt, and de-scale.
  • Follow alarm response 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.
  • 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
30 months
Maximum funding
£15,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Network customer technician or inspectors
  • Quality assurance technician
  • Sewer network inspector
  • Sewerage technician
  • Wastewater network technician
  • Wastewater sewerage network technician
  • Water distribution leakage technician
  • Water distribution network technician
  • Water field technician
  • Water recycling technician

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