Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Water Treatment (Level 4) with strands in
Drinking-Water, Wastewater, Drinking-Water Multistage Processes, and
Wastewater Multistage Processes
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
50-100
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
treatment industry with individuals who have the skills and
knowledge to be responsible for the day-to-day operation of a
water treatment plant.
The qualification is stranded to recognise the specialist skills
required to work in either drinking-water treatment plants, or
wastewater treatment plants, or drinking-water treatment plants
with multistage processes, or wastewater treatment plants with
multistage processes.
The trainee will benefit from having a qualification within a
training pathway that recognises the range of processes and
technologies in water treatment plants, progression through the
water industry, as well as increased skills and knowledge
acquisition to improve job performance.
The water industry, and the wider community, will benefit from
having qualified operators of water treatment plants who are
able to maintain compliance with all aspects of relevant
legislation.
Graduates will be capable of working under broad guidance.
Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Page 1 of 9
Graduate profile
Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

Oversee external contractors and visitors when on the water
treatment plant site.
Graduates of the Drinking-Water Strand will also be able to:

Operate a drinking-water treatment plant using chlorine
disinfection processes.

Monitor drinking-water treatment plant operation, and report
findings.
Graduates of the Wastewater Strand will also be able to:

Operate a wastewater treatment plant with an average
wastewater influent of 200 m 3 per day, using preliminary
treatment processes.

Monitor wastewater treatment plant operation, and report
findings.
Graduates of the Drinking-Water Multistage Process Strand will
also be able to:

Operate a drinking- water treatment plant using chlorine
disinfection processes.

Monitor drinking-water treatment plant operation, and report
findings.

Operate a drinking-water treatment plant with a combination
of three multistage processes.
Outcome Statement
Graduates of the Wastewater Multistage Process Strand will also
be able to:

Operate a wastewater treatment plant with an average
wastewater influent of 200 m 3 per day, using preliminary
treatment processes.

Monitor wastewater treatment plant operations, and report
findings.

Operate a wastewater treatment plant with a combination of
two multistage processes and wastewater influent greater
than 200 m3 per day.
Education pathway
This qualification can build on the relevant context of the New
Zealand Certificate in Water Treatment (DrinkingWater/Wastewater) (Level 3) [Ref: 2241], and can lead on to the
relevant strand of the New Zealand Diploma in Water
Treatment (Level 5) with strands in Drinking-Water and
Wastewater [Ref: 2245].
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification will have the knowledge and skills
to work as drinking-water or wastewater treatment plant
operators.
Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Page 2 of 9
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
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.
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.
Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Page 3 of 9
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 Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Page 4 of 9
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 record keeping,
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
Oversee external contractors and
visitors when on the water
treatment plant site.
Programmes should include the following
topics:
Optional

site induction
Credit 10

chain of custody

health and safety.
Drinking-Water Treatment Strand
2
3
Operate a drinking-water treatment
plant using chlorine disinfection
processes.
Programmes must include the following
topics:

relevant legislation
Credit 20

the principles and processes of water
treatment

New Zealand drinking-water standards

Public Health Risk Management Plans
(PHRMPs)

surface water and ground water sources
and pre-treatment

process control

emergency situations and process failure.
Monitor drinking-water treatment
plant operation, and report findings.
Programmes should include the following
topics:
Credit 20

Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Mandatory
Optional
aspects of plant operation other than
water quality (for example, power
consumption, assets, process control)
Page 5 of 9

calibration and verification of instruments.
Assessment must include the following unit
standards: 17890, 17891.
Mandatory
Programmes must include the following
topics:
Mandatory
Wastewater Treatment Strand
4
Operate a wastewater treatment
plant with an average wastewater
influent of 200 m3 per day, using
preliminary treatment processes.
Credit 20
5

legislative framework and agencies

the principles of wastewater treatment

processes, process control

impact of effluent discharge on the
environment

effluent disinfection

characteristics of wastewater

emergency situations and process failure.
Monitor wastewater treatment plant
operations and report findings.
Programmes should include the following
topics:
Credit 20

other aspects of plant operation other
than waste water treatment (for example,
power consumption, assets, process
control)

calibration and verification of instruments

data collection

reporting.
Assessment must include the following unit
standard: 24927.
Optional
Mandatory
Drinking-Water Multistage Process Strand
6
Operate a drinking-water treatment
plant using chlorine disinfection
processes.
Programmes must include the following
topics:

relevant legislation
Credit 20

the principles and processes of water
treatment

New Zealand drinking-water standards

Public Health Risk Management Plans
(PHRMPs)

surface water and ground water sources
Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Mandatory
Page 6 of 9
and pre-treatment
7
8

process control

emergency situations and process failure.
Monitor drinking-water treatment
plant operation, and report findings.
Programmes should include the following
topics:
Credit 20

aspects of plant operation other than
water quality (for example, power
consumption, assets, process control)

calibration and verification of instruments.
Optional
Assessment must include the following unit
standards: 17890, 17891.
Mandatory
Operate a drinking-water treatment
plant with a combination of three
multistage processes.
Programmes must include a combination of at
least three of the following water treatment
processes:
Mandatory
Credit 50

coagulation and flocculation

ultraviolet

ozone disinfection

organic control

pH and alkalinity

pre-treatment

separation

media filtration

membrane filtration

waste separation

fluoridation

mixed oxidant.
Wastewater Multistage Process Strand
9
Operate a wastewater treatment
plant with an average wastewater
influent of 200 m3 per day using
preliminary treatment processes.
Credit 20
Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Programmes must include the following
topics:

legislative framework and agencies

the principles of wastewater treatment

processes, process control

impact of effluent discharge on the
environment

effluent disinfection
Mandatory
Page 7 of 9
10
11

characteristics of wastewater

emergency situations and process failure.
Monitor wastewater treatment plant
operation, and report findings.
Programmes should include the following
topics:
Credit 20

other aspects of plant operation other
than waste water treatment (for example,
power consumption, assets, process
control)

calibration and verification of instruments

data collection

reporting.
Operate a wastewater treatment
plant with a combination of two
multistage processes and
wastewater influent greater than
200 m3 per day.
Credit 50
Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Optional
Assessment must include the following unit
standard: 24927.
Mandatory
Programmes must include a combination of at
least two of the following wastewater
treatment processes:
Mandatory

activated sludge

biological nutrient removal

membrane reactor

fixed growth reactor

aerated lagoon

sludge treatment

bio solids stabilisation and disposal

oxidation pond

ultra violet disinfection

screening

odour control

wetlands.
Page 8 of 9
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification replaced the National Certificate in Water Treatment
(Level 4) [Ref: 0880] and the National Certificate in Wastewater Treatment
(Level 4) [Ref: 0879].
The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualifications is 31 December 2016. The
last date for award of the replaced qualifications is 31 December 2018 at which time they will be
designated as discontinued.
Trainees currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualifications may either complete that
qualification or transfer their results to this replacement qualification.
It is the intention of Primary ITO that no existing trainee should be disadvantaged by these transition
arrangements. Any person who considers they have been disadvantaged may appeal to the Primary ITO.
Republication information
Version 1 of this qualification was republished In February 2015 to update the Evidence requirements for
managing consistency
Qualification Reference 2242
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Page 9 of 9