23848 version 1
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Describe suitability, installation, and testing of water supply backflow
prevention devices, and fault identification
Level
3
Credits
4
Purpose
This unit standard is for people who work, or intend to work, in the plumbing
or water industries.
People credited with this unit standard are able to describe: the suitability of
water supply backflow prevention devices for areas of identified risk; the
installation, connection, protection, commissioning, and testing of water
supply backflow prevention devices; and the causes of, and methods to
rectify, faults in water supply backflow prevention devices.
Subfield
Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying
Domain
Plumbing
Status
Registered
Status date
25 October 2007
Date version published
25 October 2007
Planned review date
31 December 2012
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
Standard setting body (SSB)
The Skills Organisation
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0008
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Special notes
1
Legislation, standards, and codes applicable to this unit standard include but are not
limited to:
Health Act 1956;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Local Government Act 2002;
Water Supplies Protection Regulations 1961;
AS/NZS 2845.1:1998 Water Supply – Backflow prevention devices – Materials,
design and performance requirements;
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
23848 version 1
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AS/NZS 3500.1.2003 Plumbing and Drainage – Water services;
NZS 5807.2:1980 Code of practice for industrial identification by colour, wording or
other coding; available at http://www.standards.co.nz;
New Zealand Building Code, Clause G10 Piped Services, Clause G12 Water
Supplies (Section 9.0 Equipotential bonding); current versions and any related
compliance documents, available at http://www.dbh.govt.nz;
Backflow Prevention for Drinking Water Suppliers Code of Practice, 2006, available
from the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association. Email water@nzwwa.org.nz.
Any legislation, standard, or code superseding any of the above will apply, pending
review of this unit standard.
2
Reference
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cross Connection Control
Manual, February 2003, Chapter 5. EPA 816-R-03-002, available at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater.
3
Range
backflow prevention devices – atmospheric vacuum break (AVB), pressure vacuum
breaker (PVB), spill proof vacuum breaker (SPVB), barometric loop, wafer check,
registered air gap, double detector check, double check valve, hose connection
vacuum breaker, reduced pressure zone device, single detector check valve.
Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Describe the suitability of water supply backflow prevention devices for areas of identified
risk.
Range
risk – high, medium, low.
Performance criteria
1.1
Backflow prevention devices are described in accordance with their suitability
for identified risk and manufacturers’ instructions.
Element 2
Describe the installation, connection, protection, commissioning, and testing of water
supply backflow prevention devices.
Performance criteria
2.1
The installation of backflow prevention devices is described in accordance with
manufacturers’ instructions, and relevant standards and codes.
2.2
The connection of backflow prevention devices is described in accordance with
manufacturers’ instructions, and relevant standards and codes.
2.3
The protection of backflow prevention devices is described in accordance with
manufacturers’ instructions, and relevant standards and codes.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
23848 version 1
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2.4
The obligations of the tester are described in terms of legislative requirements.
2.5
The commissioning and testing of backflow prevention devices is described in
accordance with manufacturers’ instructions, and relevant standards and codes.
Element 3
Describe the causes of, and methods to rectify, faults in water supply backflow prevention
devices.
Performance criteria
3.1
The causes of faults in backflow prevention devices are described in
accordance with manufacturers’ instructions.
3.2
Methods to rectify faults in backflow prevention devices are described in
accordance with manufacturers’ instructions.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations
wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for
tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact The Skills Organisation info@skills.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes
to the content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016