This unit supports the attainment of skills and knowledge required for managers in water organisations with responsibility for the management of surface water resources.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1Plan and prepare for management of surface water flows and quality.

1.1 Identify and interpret surface water flow requirements.

1.2 Identify and interpret water flow, quality and quantity requirements, including release.

1.3 Identify and interpret historic source water flow and system capacity information.

1.4 Identify and interpret environmental flows that impact on water flows and quality.

1.5 Identify and interpret environmental factors that impact on surface water.

1.6 Identify, interpret and review the current status of resource and operational protocols.

2Develop the surface water management plan.

2.1 Identify and interpret surface water management requirements.

2.2 Identify, interpret and validate stakeholder requirements that impact on surface water.

2.3 Develop a surface water management plan.

3Review the surface water management plan.

3.1 Analyse and report deviations from planned performance measures.

3.2 Review objectives of the management and implementation plans.

3.3 Review parameters for water usage and quality through monitoring and testing programs.

3.4 Make recommendations for changes to plan objectives and procedures, and usage and quality parameters.

3.5 Provide advice and guidance to water users and stakeholders.

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

Required skills:

interpret and apply legislation and policies

coordinate measuring and testing activities

conduct investigations

assess environmental impact

use data to inform planning process

communicate and consult with stakeholders and users.

Required knowledge:

relevant legislation

relevant enterprise policies

measuring and testing procedures

investigation procedures

risk management principles

customer expectations and requirements

climatic and weather characteristics and impacts

hydraulic analysis.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the 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 develop and review a surface water management plan to ensure environmental considerations are met and source of supply is maintained including:

gathering, interpreting and synthesising information (including historical data, current legislation and standards, stakeholder views and monitoring and test results) to underpin the sound development of the surface water management plan

consulting widely and effectively

developing effective surface water management plans that address the water organisation's objectives and requirements

using data from testing and other monitoring arrangements to track the performance of the surface water management plan and inform the review of the plan

preparing reports and recommendations for changes to the objectives of the management plan and its implementation.

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

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 requires 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.

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. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs if the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Surface water sources may include:

dams

reservoirs

weirs

rivers

lakes

creeks and streams

wetlands

off stream storage

catchment areas

storage tanks.

Water flow, quality and quantity requirements may be influenced by factors including:

usage and environment allocations

licenses

legislation

enterprise policies

cost benefit analysis.

Historic source water flow information may include:

hydrological information

previous monitoring studies

previous risk assessments

geological data

hydro-geological data

land use studies

environmental management studies

anecdotal information from land owners.

Environmental factors that impact on surface water may include:

environmental flow requirements

catchment usage and management

weather and climate

rainfall run-off

chemicals

salinity

nutrients

reservoir operations

natural events.

The development of a surface water management plan may include:

setting targets and objectives for quantity

quality

stakeholders

future use.

Monitoring and testing programs may include:

resource yields

resource status

flow rates

testing procedures

testing medium

testing frequency

sampling locations

testing variables

land use changes.

Users and stakeholders may include:

water consumers

government

water authorities

environmental departments

recreational users of the area

interest groups

industry

extractive industry.

Collection and distribution

This unit of competency contains employability skills.