Assessor Resource

DEFSUR010
Locate, treat and manage water in a survival situation

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: April 2024


This unit describes the skills required to locate, treat (for human consumption) and manage water in a survival situation. This unit also includes extracting water directly through evaporation, transpiration and desalination; filtering techniques; and treating foul water to render it potable. Of equal importance to optimising the input of water, is minimising the expenditure of water. Individuals will need to protect and ration their water assets and to implement measures to minimise water loss to increase their chances of survival.

This unit was developed for Defence personnel but may be relevant to others.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to.

Those undertaking this unit would act autonomously, while performing concrete tasks, in a broad range of contexts which may be highly unpredictable.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to unit at the time of publication.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)


Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions section.

1. Locate and extract water

1.1 Discover water by recognising and investigating the likely locations and the indicators of water.

1.2 Collect water during periods of rain and high atmospheric moisture content.

1.3 Extract water from the ground through evaporation.

1.4 Extract water from vegetation using transpiration.

2. Prepare water for consumption

2.1 Filter water (i.e. clarify content, remove debris and large contaminants) using improvised filtration methods.

2.2 Make water safe for drinking using improvised desalinator system, including boiler (i.e. drum), collector (i.e. bag) and condenser (i.e. tube/pipe).

2.3 Taste and smell water to confirm it is safe for drinking.

3. Manage water resources

3.1 Store water using improvised storage receptacles.

3.2 Minimise loss of water by implementing water loss reduction management techniques.

3.3 Ration water in accordance with minimum daily requirements as per the survival situation.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the candidate must demonstrate evidence of performance of the following on at least one occasion.

assembling basic improvised equipment

demonstrating extreme care in handling critical survival items

extracting water through:

evaporation – a minimum of 20millilitres of water in 24hours through the use of a desert still

transpiration – a minimum of 200millilitres of water in a solar day using a plastic (transpirator) bag (0.6metres by 0.4metres)

desalination – a minimum of five litres of potable water in 24hours using the following:

a ten litre metal drum

plastic (transpirator) bag (0.6metres by 0.4metres)

pipe section (ten to twentycentimetres)

Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the depth of knowledge demonstrated must be appropriate to the job context of the candidate.

desalinator construction including:

drum

condensing tube

collecting device

connections of the following to each other

cooling options for the condensing device

desalinator noncompliant liquids

transpirator noncompliant vegetation

Competency must be assessed with access to improvised desalinator kits, the desalinator is to provide the only source of water for a minimum of two days unless safety/health reasons require additional supplementation. Competency must be demonstrated once in the evaporation and transpiration of water and competency must be demonstrated in the desalination and management of water, and minimisation of water loss, over a minimum of two days.

Consideration must be given to holistic assessment with other survival units.

While a person can demonstrate the technical ability to locate and treat water, the aspect of longerterm survival, i.e. management of water (including care of the desalinator), is crucial.

Assessment under simulated survival conditions includes:

food restrictions

absence of normal living conditions and amenities

significant period of time

Refer to advice in the companion volumes.

Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions section.

1. Locate and extract water

1.1 Discover water by recognising and investigating the likely locations and the indicators of water.

1.2 Collect water during periods of rain and high atmospheric moisture content.

1.3 Extract water from the ground through evaporation.

1.4 Extract water from vegetation using transpiration.

2. Prepare water for consumption

2.1 Filter water (i.e. clarify content, remove debris and large contaminants) using improvised filtration methods.

2.2 Make water safe for drinking using improvised desalinator system, including boiler (i.e. drum), collector (i.e. bag) and condenser (i.e. tube/pipe).

2.3 Taste and smell water to confirm it is safe for drinking.

3. Manage water resources

3.1 Store water using improvised storage receptacles.

3.2 Minimise loss of water by implementing water loss reduction management techniques.

3.3 Ration water in accordance with minimum daily requirements as per the survival situation.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the candidate must demonstrate evidence of performance of the following on at least one occasion.

assembling basic improvised equipment

demonstrating extreme care in handling critical survival items

extracting water through:

evaporation – a minimum of 20millilitres of water in 24hours through the use of a desert still

transpiration – a minimum of 200millilitres of water in a solar day using a plastic (transpirator) bag (0.6metres by 0.4metres)

desalination – a minimum of five litres of potable water in 24hours using the following:

a ten litre metal drum

plastic (transpirator) bag (0.6metres by 0.4metres)

pipe section (ten to twentycentimetres)

Evidence required to demonstrate competence must satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria. If not otherwise specified the depth of knowledge demonstrated must be appropriate to the job context of the candidate.

desalinator construction including:

drum

condensing tube

collecting device

connections of the following to each other

cooling options for the condensing device

desalinator noncompliant liquids

transpirator noncompliant vegetation

Competency must be assessed with access to improvised desalinator kits, the desalinator is to provide the only source of water for a minimum of two days unless safety/health reasons require additional supplementation. Competency must be demonstrated once in the evaporation and transpiration of water and competency must be demonstrated in the desalination and management of water, and minimisation of water loss, over a minimum of two days.

Consideration must be given to holistic assessment with other survival units.

While a person can demonstrate the technical ability to locate and treat water, the aspect of longerterm survival, i.e. management of water (including care of the desalinator), is crucial.

Assessment under simulated survival conditions includes:

food restrictions

absence of normal living conditions and amenities

significant period of time

Refer to advice in the companion volumes.

Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Discover water by recognising and investigating the likely locations and the indicators of water. 
Collect water during periods of rain and high atmospheric moisture content. 
Extract water from the ground through evaporation. 
Extract water from vegetation using transpiration. 
Filter water (i.e. clarify content, remove debris and large contaminants) using improvised filtration methods. 
Make water safe for drinking using improvised desalinator system, including boiler (i.e. drum), collector (i.e. bag) and condenser (i.e. tube/pipe). 
Taste and smell water to confirm it is safe for drinking. 
Store water using improvised storage receptacles. 
Minimise loss of water by implementing water loss reduction management techniques. 
Ration water in accordance with minimum daily requirements as per the survival situation. 
Discover water by recognising and investigating the likely locations and the indicators of water. 
Collect water during periods of rain and high atmospheric moisture content. 
Extract water from the ground through evaporation. 
Extract water from vegetation using transpiration. 
Filter water (i.e. clarify content, remove debris and large contaminants) using improvised filtration methods. 
Make water safe for drinking using improvised desalinator system, including boiler (i.e. drum), collector (i.e. bag) and condenser (i.e. tube/pipe). 
Taste and smell water to confirm it is safe for drinking. 
Store water using improvised storage receptacles. 
Minimise loss of water by implementing water loss reduction management techniques. 
Ration water in accordance with minimum daily requirements as per the survival situation. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

DEFSUR010 - Locate, treat and manage water in a survival situation
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

DEFSUR010 - Locate, treat and manage water in a survival situation

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: