This unit supports the attainment of skills and knowledge required for assistant hydrographers, field hydrologists and water operators responsible for reporting water quality, volume and flow in water systems.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1Plan and assess survey requirements.

1.1 Planned survey exercises directly relate to the desired outcome and required standard processes and software.

1.2 Identify the location and value of survey reference marks from maps and plans.

1.3 Choose and justify appropriate survey techniques for specific hydraulic conditions and hydrographic purposes.

1.4 Identify and evaluate the source of levelling errors and misclosures.

1.5 Plan and manage the logistics and personnel to ensure effective outcomes and resource management.

1.6 Apply correct care procedure for storage, transport and use of survey equipment.

1.7 Assess and address occupational health and safety issues that may be encountered during the surveying exercise taking appropriate risk management strategies.

1.8 Apply for and confirm appropriate authorisations for entry to property for the purpose of carrying out survey exercise.

2Operate survey equipment.

2.1 Set up survey equipment and use mathematical techniques to check for correct operation and prepared for use.

2.2 Carry out collimation test to check the level for accuracy.

2.3 Select survey equipment for suitability and use correctly and safely according to operating procedures.

3Select and survey monitoring sites.

3.1 Identify required survey reference marks (bench marks).

3.2 Establish cease-to-flow level of controlling feature.

3.3 Identify and assess high-flow cross section and sectional control by survey.

3.4 Survey multiple cross sections of channels to determine the profile of the channel in the gauging station reach.

3.5 Identify and assess groundwater monitoring site survey reference points

4Document survey and data results.

4.1 Correctly and accurately document and store results and verify in corporate database according to organisation and industry standards.

Required skills:

plan and map reading skills sufficient to locate features, find survey reference marks and plot locations

level preparation, set-up and operation

circular level check

use procedure for elimination of parallax

use procedure for conducting Collimation test

audit the condition of staves, bubble level, measuring tapes

prepare and load survey equipment for transportation

identify common types of measuring tapes used in survey

care and maintenance of measuring tapes

preparation and holding of staves

use a compass to determine a bearing position

operation of a change point

data capture and file management

horizontal distance measurement by stadia

physically identify an appropriate survey reference mark

apply sightings and standard error checks.

Required knowledge:

mathematical and other scientific techniques relevant to the analysis of hydrometric data

interaction of physico/chemico parameters of the process being monitored and the impact on data being recorded

sensor/system characteristics and signal processing/algorithms, specifically with chemical sensors

computer software relevant to the analysis and archiving of hydrographic data

water sampling and testing procedures

occupational health and safety procedures

policies and standard operating procedures

procedures for use of remote contact communication systems.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The candidate should demonstrate the ability to use appropriate survey equipment to collect survey data at monitoring stations and to process and manage the data for hydrometric purposes including:

gathering and interpreting complex documentation and applying to the development and maintenance of rating curves

analysing and verifying data using standard procedures, software and databases

preparing clear and accurate reports

storing and archiving data

identifying, reporting and providing solutions to a range of flow conditions.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Access to the workplace and resources including:

documentation that should normally be available in a water industry organisation

workplace specific equipment and technology

supervision and experienced team members to provide observations, feedback and third party reports

enterprise operating procedures and work allocation

relevant codes, standards, and government regulations.

Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Validity and sufficiency of evidence require that:

competency will need to be demonstrated over a period of time reflecting the scope of the role and the practical requirements of the workplace

where the assessment is part of a structured learning experience the evidence collected must relate to a number of performances assessed at different points in time and separated by further learning and practice

a decision of competence should only be made when the assessor has complete confidence in the person's competence over time and in various contexts

all assessment that is part of a structured learning experience must include a combination of direct, indirect and supplementary evidence

where assessment is for the purpose of recognition (RCC/RPL), the evidence provided will need to be authenticated and show that it represents competency demonstrated over a period of time

assessment can be through simulated project-based activity and must include evidence relating to each of the elements in this unit.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge. Questioning will be undertaken in a manner appropriate to the skill levels of the operator, any cultural issues that may affect responses to the questions, and reflecting the requirements of the competency and the work being performed.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Standard processes and software may include:

standards relevant to the monitoring network including:

AS 3778 for water measurement installations

WMO/Bureau of Meteorology guidelines for siting of meteorological sensors and systems

best practice methodology where standards are not available or applicable

software for logical control device programming (maybe system specific or generic software) to automate control, sampling and alarming processes

water data base management software for triggering alarms, notifications, advice to relevant authorities and management for actions

procedures for:

data logging (programming interrogation, data downloading, data security)

procedures for:

data processing

storage and presentation

conversion of raw logger file data to channel data in date/time/value format

deletion/inclusion/correction

quality codes/comments

check

archive

storing ancillary data

pluviographs

hyetographs

hydrographs

rating curves

tables

procedures for the measurement of surface slopes and flood slopes

procedures for the development, maintenance and extension of rating curves

computation of flow from stage data and rating curves

software:

Kisters - Hydstra

Scientific Software Group - AquaChem

Microsoft - Excel

web-based development tools for presentation and reporting of data.

Hydraulic conditions may include:

rapidly rising and falling stages

tail water and backwater affected

tidal effects

transitional from calibrated to channel.

Mathematical techniques may include:

logarithmic transformation

conversion of units

graphical analysis

gauging calculations

calculation of sediment load, sediment yield and sediment deposition.

Hydrography

This unit contains employability skills.