Set, operate and monitor plant and equipment to process water, waste water or sludge

This Standard is about setting and operating treatment processing plant and equipment and monitoring them to ensure they operate at maximum efficiency throughout the processing cycle. Although this is primarily for drinking water, it can also apply to waste water or sludge treatment processing.

It includes taking readings, analysing plant records, setting operating parameters, adjusting settings when required, investigating discrepancies in performance and checking the progress of processing work.

This standard is suitable for operators working in water, waste water or sludge treatment processing plants.

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1. set operating parameters which take account of efficiency, quality of outputs, financial performance, safety and breakdown occurrence
2. take readings from instruments at regular intervals
3. ensure that samples are taken at regular intervals from relevant locations
4. adjust plant and equipment settings, where necessary, to produce required treatment plant outputs within site water quality parameters
5. interact with other sites within the organisation regarding outages and effects on the site when required in accordance with organisational procedures
6. identify and investigate problems with treatment production outputs without delay
7. take action to deal with problems within the limits of your authority in accordance with organisational procedures
8. refer problems you cannot resolve to designated people
9. identify and deal with indicators of potential emergency situations in accordance with organisational procedures
10. take action to minimise the effect of faulty or broken-down equipment on processing activities in accordance with organisational procedures
11. identify future planned shut downs of plant and equipment and make details available to relevant people
12. create and store up to date records of investigations, operational changes and adjustments to parameters in accordance with organisational procedures
13. provide authorised people with access to operational records when required
14. follow security procedures in accordance with organisational protocols and policies

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1. how to set and adjust operating parameters in treatment processing plant and equipment
2. water industry legislation, standards, codes of practice, and industry regulations for health, safety, and hygiene in relation to your job role
3. water industry legislation, standards, codes of practice, and industry regulations for quality and environmental protection and measures to reduce harmful emissions and substances in relation to your job role
4. the aspects of your work which may be subject to statutory inspections and organisational procedures for dealing with them
5. the organisation’s process for managing emergency situations including when there is digital system failure
6. the organisation’s process for safe working practices when dealing with equipment, instrumentation and environment, including lone working
7. the impact of water, waste water and sludge treatment processes on compliance and public health
8. the potential impact of the environment, regulations, customers, weather, flow changes and seasonal variation on water treatment processes
9. the effects of disinfection processes on water quality, the key indicators and how to interpret them including pH, turbidity, chlorine, time, contact time, ultraviolet intensity, ultraviolet transmittance, ultraviolet/dissolved organic carbons, suspended solids, turbidity, ammonia, phosphate, temperature, metals, nitrate
10. actions to take if samples are above action limits including resampling and retesting from same or alternative points, equipment and calibration checks, comparison with online or historic trends, upstream investigations
11. the distinguishing features, basic operating principles and key parameters related to clarification and settlement including flow splits, pumps/desludging, sludge levels, scrapers, bridge, flow patterns and distribution, ancillary equipment, recirculation, flocculation
12. the distinguishing features, basic operating principles and key parameters for filtration processes including rapid gravity filtration, slow sand filtration, pressure filtration, ultra filtration, micro filtration, reverse osmosis and biological processes
13. methods to monitor water treatment processes including flow distribution, pumps, backwashing, head loss, level sensors, air scour patterns and distribution, ancillary equipment, skimming, media, pressures, remineralization
14. the distinguishing features, basic operating principles and key parameters for advanced water treatments including ozone, membranes, selective ion exchange, absorption, ultraviolet disinfection, granular activated carbon (GAC)
15. the distinguishing features, basic operating principles and key parameters for waste water processes including maceration, sludge digestion, mechanical sludge thickening or dewatering and secondary or biological treatment
16. the flow route of waste streams and the indicators and implications of incorrect monitoring and operation
17. the role and purpose of data audit trails in quality assurance, health and safety and regulatory requirements
18. the organisation’s process for planning and interacting effectively with other sites within the company regarding outages and effects on the site and use of components or the site itself
19. why it is important to minimise the effects of broken-down plant and equipment, or plant or equipment that has been taken out of use, on the treatment process
20. the organisation’s process for operating treatment processes when there is a computer system failure
21. the organisation’s process for assessing the implications of non- compliance with regulations and the employer’s specification
22. protocols and policies for confidentiality, cyber security and site security and why they are important
23. how to adjust treatment processes to provide required water quality and quantity including in response to changes in the catchment or distribution system
24. when to make details of planned outages available to workers on site
25. what facilities, tools and equipment are required to carry out treatment process work
26. the treatment process that the equipment being worked on relates to, and how the work may impact the performance or efficiency of that process

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2

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31 Mar 2027

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Current

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Original

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Energy & Utility Skills

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EUSTPC01

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Engineering, Science and Engineering Technicians, Water Processing Operative

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8134

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set, operate, monitor, maintain, treatment, processing, performance, equipment, plant, communication, water, waste water, sludge

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