Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Water Treatment (Drinking-Water/Wastewater)
(Level 3)
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
3
Credits
45
NZSCED
030907
Engineering and Related Technologies> Civil Engineering >
Water and Sanitary Engineering
Qualification developer
Primary ITO
Next review
April 2018
Approval date
April 2014
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the water industry
with individuals who have attained the skills and knowledge to
work safely and effectively, assisting with the day-to-day
operation of a drinking-water or wastewater treatment plants.
The trainee will benefit by having an entry point into full time
employment, and beginning a qualification pathway with options
to further specialise into either drinking-water or wastewater
treatment.
Graduates will be capable of working under general
supervision.
Graduate profile
Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

Assist with water treatment plant processes that include
chemical treatment and general plant maintenance.
Drinking-Water qualifier
To achieve the New Zealand Certificate in Water Treatment
(Level 3) Drinking-Water, graduates must be able to apply the
skills and knowledge of treatment plant processes in a drinkingwater context to meet the outcomes.
Outcome Statement
Wastewater qualifier
To achieve the New Zealand Certificate in Water Treatment
(Level 3) Wastewater, graduates must be able to apply the skills
and knowledge of treatment plant processes in a wastewater
context to meet the outcomes.
Education pathway
Qualification Reference 2241
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
This qualification can lead to the relevant strand of the New
Zealand Certificate in Water Treatment (Level 4) with strands in
Drinking-Water, Wastewater, Drinking-Water Multistage
Processes, and Wastewater Multistage Processes [Ref: 2242].
Page 1 of 4
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification will have the skills and knowledge
to work in an assistant or entry level role in wastewater treatment
or drinking-water treatment plants.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the Primary ITO as the
qualification developer and the industry training organisation
arranging training leading to the qualification under section 5
of the Industry Training Act 1992.
This qualification may also be awarded by an education
organisation accredited under section 250 of the Education
Act 1989 to deliver an approved programme leading to this
qualification.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification
will display the NZQF logo and may also include the name
and/or logo of the awarding education organisation.
Evidence requirements for managing
consistency
All education organisations offering programmes leading to
the qualification must engage with arrangements for
managing consistency, including covering actual and
reasonable related costs.
Each education organisation is responsible for deciding what
specific evidence it will provide to demonstrate how well its
graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes of the
qualification.
Evidence of the following must be provided:
• Student feedback on course delivery and qualification
achievement, their perception of the value of the training,
and suggestions for improvements
• Feedback from employers on the level of skills, knowledge
and behaviour demonstrated by graduates of the
qualification
• Evidence of effective internal quality assurance systems
• Portfolios of work and/or assessment samples
demonstrating the range of student performance within a
programme
TEOs can also provide any other relevant evidence that
supports the consistency review.
Credit transfer and recognition of
prior learning arrangements
Qualification Reference 2241
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Education organisations must have policies and procedures
in place for managing credit transfer, and assessing
recognition of prior learning and recognition of current
competency. These policies and procedures, and
information about associated fees, must be available to the
candidate prior to enrolment.
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To facilitate credit transfer, education organisations must
clearly demonstrate the equivalency or comparability
between each of the outcomes in the graduate profile, and
the assessment components of their programmes.
Minimum standard of achievement
and standards for grade
endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of
the qualification will be the achievement of all graduate
outcomes in the graduate profile through successful
completion of an NZQA approved programme.
Entry requirements (including
prerequisites to meet regulatory body
or legislative requirements)
There are no mandatory prerequisites for this qualification.
Qualification conditions
Overarching conditions relating to the qualification
Conditions for programme
structure
None.
Conditions for programme
context
Competency for this qualification will typically be demonstrated in a
workplace environment.
Other conditions
All outcomes in this qualification require aspects of communication
and workplace health and safety, which should be considered as part
of the assessment process.
Specific conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
Mandatory
or Optional
1
Assist with water treatment plant
processes that include chemical treatment
and general plant maintenance.
Programmes should include the
following topics in the relevant
context:
Optional
Credit 45

sampling procedures

testing

record keeping

basic science theory associated
with water treatment (for example,
mathematics, physics, chemistry,
biology)

chemical treatment

legislative requirements

public health risks

plant facilities and infrastructure
Qualification Reference 2241
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Page 3 of 4
maintenance.
Republication information
Version 1 of this qualification was republished In February 2015 to update the Evidence requirements for
managing consistency
Qualification Reference 2241
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Page 4 of 4