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Promote efficient water usage in a food and drink environment

URN: IMPSF107
Business Sectors (Suites): Sustainable Food Production
Developed by: Improve
Approved on: 31 Dec 2021

Overview

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This standard covers the skills and knowledge needed to develop policies and guidelines to support the efficient use of water in food and drink manufacture or supply. It includes the skills required to promote efficient water usage in a food and drink environment.

This standard is for you if you work in food and drink operations and your job requires you to have responsibility for the efficient use of water in food and drink manufacture. You may have management responsibilities for an operational team.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

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  1. identify legal requirements that control the use and disposal of water
  2. establish current levels of water usage for activities undertaken by the organisation
  3. identify opportunities for improving water usage efficiency
  4. specify efficiency targets for each area of water usage
  5. identify potential barriers that may limit water efficiency
  6. specify monitoring procedures in respect of water usage
  7. advise on design of processes and products to help minimise water usage
  8. promote and support the implementation of water efficiency in support of organisational activities
  9. define and allocate roles and responsibilities to support measures to improve water efficiency
  10. identify training needs and organise training for those responsible for improving water efficiency
  11. support the implementation of monitoring procedures to control water efficiency
  12. establish methods to evaluate the impact of measures to improve water efficiency
  13. support implementation of monitoring and control procedures
  14. evaluate impact of measures to improve water efficiency
  15. specify benefits achieved through efficiency measures

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

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  1. legal requirements that control water extraction, consumption, treatment and discharge
  2. government targets for sustainable water usage
  3. impact of water usage on the environment and sustainability
  4. how water usage impacts on environmental issues such as climate change
  5. benefits of efficient water usage to the organisation
  6. water usage in support of all organisational activities including embedded water
  7. water supply availability, treatment methods and quality in respect to organisational water supplies
  8. how to establish current levels of water usage in respect to all organisational activities
  9. how to analyse organisational water usage data
  10. the value of water metering and monitoring in a food environment
  11. principles of benchmarking as a method of identifying opportunities for improving efficient water usage
  12. processes used to support water treatment, recycling, reuse and discharge control
  13. factors that limit organisational water recycling and reuse
  14. water discharge, including treatment methods and quality specifications
  15. potential causes and sources of water pollution and its associated implications in a food environment
  16. opportunities available for reducing water usage and improving water efficiency across all activities
  17. barriers that can limit the impact of water efficiency and how these can be overcome
  18. how process and product design can impact on efficient water usage
  19. how effective process control and quality assurance can support efficient water usage
  20. how to complete an organisational cost/benefit analysis in respect to water usage
  21. methods for promoting efficient water usage
  22. how to monitor, control and maintain water usage
  23. organisational audit requirements
  24. how to define and allocate roles and responsibilities for all those involved in improving efficient water usage across all the activities undertaken by the organisation
  25. how to identify training needs and organise staff training to support efficient water usage
  26. how to evaluate the impact of measures to improve efficient water usage
  27. how to act as a role model for promoting efficient water usage

Scope/range

Scope Performance

Scope Knowledge

Values

Behaviours

Skills

Glossary

Links To Other NOS

External Links

Version Number

3

Indicative Review Date

31 Jan 2025

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

NSAFD

Original URN

IMPSF107

Relevant Occupations

Food Production Operatives, Manufacturing Technologies, Plant and Machine Operatives, Process Operatives, Process, Plant and Machine Operatives

SOC Code

8111

Keywords

Food; manufacture; sustainable; environmental; production; waste; energy; water; transport; efficiency; drink