Monitor and maintain the quality of treatment process outputs

This standard is about using data and information to check the quality and quantity of the material to be treated as it enters the plant and at the various stages of the treatment process. It involves monitoring the treatment processes in treatment plants and making adjustments to the plant operation where required to optimise the processes and ensure the quality of the outputs.

It can apply to any treatment process including abstraction, raw water management and pre-treatment, disinfection, chemical dosing and control, clarification, filtration, ozone, membranes, selective ion exchange, absorption, controlling infestation, ultraviolet disinfection, maceration, aeration, sludge digestion and mechanical sludge thickening or dewatering. It can also apply to control of supply to distribution including storage points and pumping.

It includes monitoring the treatment processes in treatment plants, assessing whether treatment plant inputs and outputs conform to requirements and making adjustments to the plant operation where required to optimise the processes and ensure the quality of the outputs. It also involves issuing and displaying all safety warnings and disposing of process by-products safely.

This standard is suitable for operatives that work at water, waste water and sludge treatment processing plants.

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1. carry out routine monitoring at the frequency specified in plant procedures
2. confirm flow recording instruments, quality monitors and level indicators are working as required in the plant specification by interpreting monitoring data
3. compare the plant readings and other data with the operating schedule and operating instructions
4. check that the procedures for collecting data from on-site visual assessment and quality tests remain adequate and conform to operating instructions
5. check that the procedures for taking samples for testing remain adequate and conform to operating instructions
6. check quality and quantity at key points against processing requirements
7. monitor the collation and use of flow, quality and operational data and make sure they comply with operating schedule and operating instructions
8. implement special monitoring of process inputs and outputs where process adjustments have been made
9. assess process performance from flow, quality, and operational records, and direct observations
10. analyse data from records and direct observations and determine what adjustments are required to achieve optimal performance
11. maintain process throughput within specified parameters
12. assess process inputs and outputs to determine whether the plant has responded to corrective adjustments and conforms to the plant specification
13. complete activities which maintain optimal performance conditions for the treatment processes
14. complete activities to make sure the disposal of process by-products meet with the requirements of legislation, standards, and codes of practice
15. ensure there is a consistent approach to responding to alarms in accordance with operational procedures
16. use energy monitoring data to maximise energy performance
17. resolve issues where there are problems which arise from inaccurate or incomplete data from treatment processes
18. investigate and resolve failures of process adjustments through instruments, configurations, flow, and doses
19. take corrective action before quality does not comply with specifications
20. complete plant and process documentation and ensure it provides accurate and up-to-date data in the timescale required
21. follow the organisational systems for storing and inputting data
22. check and compare monitoring data using treatment plant records
23. use data readings to confirm all outputs leaving the plant conform to specification
24. make optimization suggestions using performance monitoring data
25. provide those with a managerial role with clear information about any adjustments to processes
26. inform affected people when plant and equipment is to be shut down and when to expect plant and equipment to be re-started and re-commissioned
27. issue and display all safety warnings in advance of operational changes to plant and equipment
28. record and report process defects, the corrective measures taken, and the results and outcomes
29. maintain records in accordance with organisational procedures
30. provide access to data records on request
31. store plant and process records in the designated place
32. follow security procedures in accordance with organisational protocols and policies
33. consult and liaise with those with a managerial role on further measures to be taken where there are failures to adjustments

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1. water industry legislation, standards, codes of practice, and industry regulations for health, safety, and hygiene in relation to your job role
2. 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
3. the aspects of your work which may be subject to statutory inspections and organisational procedures for dealing with them
4. the organisation’s process for managing emergency situations
5. the organisation’s process for safe working practices when dealing with equipment, instrumentation and environment, including lone working and personal protective equipment (PPE)
6. your own role, responsibilities, and actions in sustaining favourable environmental conditions
7. the organisation’s process for treating water or waste water
8. the distinguishing features, basic operating principles and key parameters associated with raw water management including abstraction, pre-treatment
9. the impact of water treatment processes on compliance and public health
10. the potential impact of the environment, regulations, customers, weather, flow changes and seasonal variation on water treatment processes
11. 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 transmitance , ultraviolet/dissolved organic carbons, suspended solids, turbidity, ammonia, phosphate, temperature, metals, nitrate
12. 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
13. the distinguishing features, basic operating principles and key parameters for chemical dosing and control including those related to pumps, level detection, bunds, gas detection, vacuum, tank conditions, stock rotation, flow monitors, duty changes, leak detection, pipework, pressure detection, dose rates, motive/carrier water
14. 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
15. the distinguishing features, basic operating principles and key parameters for filtration processes including rapid gravity filtration, slow sand filtration, pressure filtration, ulltra filtration, micro filtration and reverse osmosis
16. methods to monitor treatment processes including flow distribution, pumps, backwashing, head loss, level sensors, air scour patterns and distribution, ancillary equipment, skimming, media, pressures, remineralisation
17. 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)
18. 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
19. the flow route of waste streams and the indicators and implications of incorrect monitoring and operation
20. the organisation’s process for disposing of treatment process by-products
21. the steps involved in predicting changes in quality and flow and the effects of these changes on the unit processes and the final outflow
22. the steps involved when assessing the effects of changes in quality and flow
23. the steps involved in assessing variations in unit process performance and the effects of these variations in the total treatment process
24. the steps involved in assessing the effect of process failure
25. sampling procedures and designated actions if samples breach action limits including resampling and retesting from same or alternative points, equipment and calibration checks, comparison with online or historic trends, upstream investigations
26. how to implement corrective actions to ensure the process meets its target performance
27. how to assess the effects of a breach of consent for discharges from the process plant on the local environment
28. the steps involved in dealing with technical queries arising from deviations to predetermined performance levels for unit processes
29. the purpose of data audit trails, why they are important and how to maintain them
30. the importance of ensuring maintenance information is accurate, valid and complete
31. the organisation’s procedures for recording, retrieving, recording and storing information in the designated format
32. the need for information which is provided to other people relating to maintenance activities
33. how to operate treatment processes when there is a computer system failure
34. protocols and policies for confidentiality, cyber security and site security and why they are important
35. the impact of changes in the catchment or distribution network on treatment process operations

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3

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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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EUSTPC06

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Engineering, Science and Engineering Technicians, Water Processing Supervisors

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8134

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monitor, maintain, quality, treatment, processes, operations, samples, adjustments, records, observations, water, waste water, sludge

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