SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Advanced Certificate in Water Treatment

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
109959	Advanced Certificate in Water Treatment
ORIGINATOR
Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Advanced Certificate	Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services		Rehabilitative Health/Services
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Not Applicable	NQF Level 06	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered		EXCO 0821/24	2019-07-25	2027-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30		2031-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to provide experienced process personnel working at water and wastewater treatment plants with the necessary skills and competencies to register as Class IV process controllers (in the event of no work experience) or Class V process controllers (those with four years of work experience). Applicants apply at the Department of Water and Sanitation for registration and the registration criteria is currently based on the years of service and the qualifications obtained. There is currently no professional body involved in this process.

The scope of practice will include water treatment and wastewater treatment process control; water and wastewater chemistry and analysis; water plant management; water microbiology and relevant water legislation, enabling the graduate to not only operate water and wastewater treatment plants efficiently and effectively but also to improve the quality of its performance, operations and outputs. As a process controller with this qualification, the qualifying learner will be able to supervise the operation of water and waste water treatment plants as well as to investigate and solve operational problems enabling the plant to produce drinking water of a good quality and effluents from wastewater treatment plants. Upon successful completion of the qualification the graduate will be eligible to enter the Diploma in Water and Science and Technology qualification (National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 6).

The qualifying student will be able to:

Operate water and wastewater treatment plants efficiently.

Perform laboratory testing of samples for basic chemical or microbiological parameters.

Assist with the Blue and Green Drop Certification process.

Implement safety procedures in all operations of unit processes in a water and wastewater treatment plant.

Apply acquired scientific knowledge to improve the operation of unit processes in a water and wastewater treatment plant.

Produce final effluents that comply with legal requirements and national standards.

Manage human and technical resources in a sustainable manner.

Work in a team to solve operational problems on water and wastewater treatment plants.

Act in accordance with the prescribed professional ethical codes of conduct.

Rationale:
According to the Water Research Commission, South Africa has 4000 skilled process controllers and 1200 water and sanitation engineers required in local governments. The seriousness of the situation was reported in numerous Blue and Green Drop reports which reflected the quality of drinking water and wastewater of the treatment plants in the country. A total of 4500 sampling sites have been established country wide. One of the factors which have contributed to the poor state of drinking water and wastewater treatment works is a lack of skilled process controllers. Sanitation services in South Africa are also lagging behind the targets set for basic access to water supplies as more than 8.68 million people were without adequate sanitation services of which 2.47 million didn't have any sanitation infrastructure.

Since the introduction of the Blue and Green Drop Certification process the Water Care section has been inundated with requests from the Water Sector to offer training for staff currently employed at water/wastewater treatment plants in order to comply with the new regulations. Obtainment of the Advanced Certificate will provide water process controllers with an opportunity to advance their applied competencies to such an extent that they may assist with Blue and Green Drop Certification and use investigatory skills to assist in bettering the services rendered.

The main aim of this project was to assist the institution in the development of new qualifications to address the needs of the water sector in South Africa. This has enabled the institution to involve and consult extensively with the major role players in the water sector. A number of two and three day workshops were held during the six years to determine the current needs of the water sector.

Based on all the above-mentioned factors it is very clear that there is an urgent need to provide well-trained manpower to the South African water sector. As the niche of higher qualified process controllers increases it will impact positively on the standards and quality of service delivery at South African water and waste water treatment plants. The qualifying learners will find employment at not only the Department of Water and Sanitation, Water Boards, and Water Services Authorities but also at Municipalities and private companies throughout Southern Africa.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Recognition of Prior Learning will be provided in accordance with institution's RPL policy. Any credit bearing education relevant to Water Treatment at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 5 will be considered. RPL learners will be required to develop a comprehensive portfolio outlining their work and industrial experience within the water sector where they must provide sufficient evidence that they have attained and mastered the necessary skills equivalent to those provided within qualifications offered at the institution, justifying its equivalence.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirements for this qualification is:

Higher Certificate in Water Treatment at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 5.
Or

An equivalent qualification.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Level 6 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6: 120 Credits:

Water Operations I, Level 6, 12 Credits.

Water Legislation, Level 6, 12 Credits.

Wastewater Treatment II, Level 6, 18 Credits.

Water Treatment II, Level 6, 18 Credits.

Water Analysis I, Level 6, 21 Credits.

Water Chemistry I, Level 6, 21 Credits.

Water Plant Management I, Level 6, 18 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the main areas of legislation, treatment processes, water analysis, water microbiology, water chemistry and plant management, including an understanding of and an ability to apply the key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of such disciplines to unfamiliar but relevant contexts, in a water treatment plant; and knowledge of water treatment and how that knowledge relates to other environmental practices.
2. Demonstrate an ability to evaluate, select and apply appropriate methods, procedures or techniques in processes of investigation or application within a defined context in water treatment.
3. Demonstrate an ability to identify, analyse and solve problems in unfamiliar contexts in water treatment, gathering evidence and applying solutions based on evidence and procedures appropriate to the field.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical implications of decisions and actions, within an organisational or professional context in water treatment, based on an awareness of the complexity of ethical dilemmas.
5. Demonstrate an ability to evaluate different sources of information, to select information appropriate to the task, and to apply well-developed processes of analysis and evaluation to that information; and an ability to present and communicate information reliably and coherently using appropriate professional and occupational conventions, formats and technologies for a given context in water treatment.
6. Demonstrate an ability to make decisions and act appropriately in familiar and new contexts in water treatment, demonstrating an understanding of the relationships between treatment systems, and of how actions, ideas or developments in one system impact on other systems.
7. Demonstrate an ability to evaluate performance against given criteria, and accurately identify and address task-specific learning needs in a given context in water treatment, and to provide support to the learning needs of process controllers where appropriate.
8. Demonstrate an ability to work effectively in a team, and to take responsibility for own decisions and actions and the decisions and actions of others within well-defined contexts in water treatment, including the responsibility for the use of resources where appropriate.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 1:

Demonstrate detailed knowledge of water and wastewater treatment processes in water and wastewater treatment practice in ways which produce quality drinking water and waste water effluents.

Apply detailed knowledge of water quality parameters and their impacts on human health and the environment in water and wastewater contexts.

Apply knowledge of the relevant water legislation and how it impacts on the operation of treatment plants in order to comply with the legislation.

Demonstrate knowledge of management principles and practices to be applied in the supervision of subordinates in water and wastewater treatment contexts.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 2:

Demonstrate the ability to operate and control treatment processes to produce good quality water or effluents.

Select the optimum chemical dosage for treatment to produce good quality water and effluents.

Demonstrate the ability to perform basic chemical, physical and microbiological water analysis, interpretation of the results to apply to solve water quality issues.

Ensure proper utilisation of human resources in a way that the water treatment plant will be efficiently.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 3:

Demonstrate the ability to identify and solve unfamiliar problems which occur in the water treatment process in a way that will produce a good quality water cost effectively.

Evaluate different quality parameters to identify and solve unfamiliar operational problems.

Identify different control options to solve unfamiliar operational problems on a water treatment plant.

Act on instructions from the plant manager to make adjustments to the operation of the different unit processes.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 4:

Interpret and apply ethical codes of water and wastewater process control consistently to ensure proper conduct.

Practice professional accountability and responsibility to ensure potable water and wastewater effluents comply with the discharge permits and do not pollute the environment.

Apply standards for the practice of ethical conduct in daily water and wastewater treatment and in water analysis to ensure valid and reliable results and sustainable solutions with regards to water quality problems.

Practice professional accountability and responsibility in the laboratory to ensure that precise and reliable analytical results are produced and proper management of the disposal of waste chemicals is ensured.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 5:

Evaluate operational control data gathered at the different unit processes to make recommendations to adjust operational controls to improve the performance of water treatment plant with regards to quality and cost effectiveness.

Gather the relevant information, according to the requirements to assist in the Blue or Green Drop assessment.

Write technical reports according to a given format and also present the results orally.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 6:

Make decisions to change operational control parameters to improve the quality of the product water or the final effluent.

Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between different unit processes and how a change in operational procedure in one-unit process affects other unit processes.

Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of operational changes on the quality parameters in the different unit processes.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 7:

Evaluate the performance of the different unit processes against the water quality standards to identify his or her learning needs to address shortcomings in the water or wastewater treatment plant to improve efficiency of the water or wastewater treatment processes.

Evaluate key performance areas in water treatment and laboratory analysis to provide support to learning needs of sub ordinates to ensure good quality water or effluents and cost effective operation of the treatment plants.

Associated Assessment Criteria Exit Level Outcome 8:

Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a team to operate a water treatment plant and to solve operational problems.

Demonstrate the ability to make decisions and take responsibility to improve the quality of the product water.

Demonstrate the ability to take responsibility to make adjustments to chemical dosing rates and use of plant equipment to operate the plant effectively.

Integrated Assessment:
Integrated Assessment is ensured by incorporating both formal and informal continuous assessment strategies into the learning qualification to ensure that not only assessment of learning takes place but also assessment for learning. Assessment strategies are underpinned by the Exit Level Outcomes, which are designed in articulation with the level descriptors and the scope of practice. As such, all elements are aligned with the purpose statement of the qualification.

Integrated Assessment will take place within the context of an active learning environment, in adherence to Quality assurance policies, procedures and processes.

Formative Assessment:
Formative assessment will involve integrated types of assessment, used to inform learners about their progress on a continuous basis through the whole year. Marks collected from this evidence may be recorded for promotional purposes or may be used for the sole purpose of student and lecturer reflection, growth and development. Formative assessment will be used to support the student developmentally and to provide feedback to all involved in the learning process of how teaching and learning can be improved. Throughout the qualification, formative assessment strategies will be used to ensure that exit level and critical cross-field outcomes are achieved, which include:

Assignments.

Demonstrations.

Practical work.

Project.

Tests.

Summative Assessment:
Summative Assessment will involve assessment opportunities that take place at the end of a learning experience. Information will be gathered about a student's level of competence upon completion of a unit, module or qualification. Results may be expressed in marks in terms of the level of competence achieved, with regard to level descriptors, specific outcomes and assessment standards. This type of assessment is often used for promotional purposes and may take the form of:

Examinations (theoretical and practical).

Portfolios.

Presentations.

Tests.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The Advanced Certificate in Water Treatment compares favourably with the international qualifications indicated below.

These qualifications are aimed at technicians working in the water treatment and water quality control industry. The students will expand their knowledge and develop a range of vocational skills in water treatment technology and analysis. The Advanced Certificate in Water Treatment is similar to the qualifications offered by the international institutions below.

Country: British Columbia, Canada.
Institution: Okanagan College.
Qualification: Diploma in Water Engineering Technology.

Comparability:
This qualification is comparable to this qualification. In the Diploma in Water Engineering Technology all learners complete a common first year curriculum during which they receive a strong foundation of hydrology, hydraulics, water quality, water and wastewater treatment, along with water-focused biology and chemistry. During the second year learners can choose between two options: Environmental Monitoring and Water and Wastewater Technology. In our Advanced Certificate we focus only water and wastewater technology, but they focus more on water biology where we focus more on water analysis.

Country: Singapore.
Institution: Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Qualification: Diploma in Environmental and Water Technology.

Comparability:
Our qualification is comparable to the Environmental and Water Technology Diploma. Both qualifications have a basic science component with Microbiology, Chemistry and Mathematics. Their Diploma also have water treatment modules as Water Supply Technology & Design, Industrial Wastewater and Membrane Technology and Water Reclamation Technology which are similar to the water and wastewater treatment modules that we offer.

Country: Ottawa, Canada.
Institution: Algonquin College.
Qualification: Ontario College Diploma: Water and Waste Water Technician.

Comparability:
This qualification is comparable to this qualification. The Water and Waste Water Technician Diploma has a strong water and wastewater treatment and water analysis component as in this qualification but also includes Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection and Solid Waste Disposal and Treatment which are not included in this qualification.

Country: State of Iowa, United States of America (USA).
Institution: Des Moines Area Community College.
Qualification: Water Environmental Technology: Associate in Applied Science Degree.

Comparability:
This qualification is comparable to this qualification. The Water Environmental Technology Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree focus on water and wastewater treatment, similar to this qualification. After graduation it is required that their learners do an internship at a water or wastewater treatment facility.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification allows for vertical articulation possibility.

Horizontal Articulation:

Diploma in Water Science and Technology, Level 6.

Vertical Articulation:

Advanced Diploma in Water Science and Technology, Level 7.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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