Unit of competency Outline

Date retreived
22/07/2026 4:25 PM AWST

Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.

Coordinate water quality management activities

Coordinate water quality management activities

Unit of competency
National Code
MSS027006
State Code
BAK62
TGA Status
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Current Release Number
2.00
Current Release Date
22/10/2018
View on TGA
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
08/08/2016
Field of Education
080315 - Project Management
Original Release Date
08/08/2016
Nominal Hours
80
Description
This unit of competency covers the ability to oversee the day-to-day water quality management activities for a site, project or an ongoing program. Personnel are required to interpret and implement a water quality management plan, organise specified management activities, verify the quality of monitoring data and investigate and rectify unexpected or unacceptable results, monitor compliance with relevant water quality objectives or standards and provide reports. They work under the supervision of an environmental scientist or engineer, site manager or workplace environmental manager.This unit of competency is applicable to environmental site coordinators, environmental managers and senior environmental officers working in a range of industry sectors, such as environmental services involved with sampling, monitoring and/or management of surface water, groundwater, stormwater or wetlands; and environmental compliance, auditing and inspection. Note that the term ‘manager’ is used to refer to management of a function, project and/or program and does not necessarily imply line management.While no specific licensing or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication, environmental monitoring and management activities are governed by relevant legislation, regulations and/or external accreditation requirements. Local requirements should be checked.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1 Confirm scope of water quality management
  • 1.1 Review legislative, regulatory and licensing requirements and approvals that apply to site/project/program.
  • 1.2 Review current water quality management plan, including objectives, known issues, specified management activities and any required changes.
  • 1.3 Review previous water quality records and reports, if available.
  • 1.4 Confirm that water quality monitoring sites, sampling and measurement methods, instrumentation and workplace procedures are in accordance with relevant standards and guidelines.
  • 1.5 Clarify own scope of responsibility/authority for achieving specific outcomes and the roles of other key personnel.
  • 1.6 Identify resources available to conduct water quality management activities.
2 Organise water quality management activities
  • 2.1 Develop a consolidated schedule to ensure all activities can be conducted efficiently with the available resources.
  • 2.2 Develop checklists/clear work instructions to enable personnel to perform assigned tasks efficiently and with minimal errors.
  • 2.3 Ensure that personnel who conduct monitoring and/or collect water samples are competent to undertake their assigned tasks.
  • 2.4 Ensure water quality monitoring equipment is regularly calibrated and maintained and that adequate stocks of consumables are available.
  • 2.5 Ensure water samples are handled in accordance with the sampling method and chain of custody requirements and dispatched promptly for analysis.
  • 2.6 Conduct, or arrange for, regular site inspections to monitor the effectiveness of water quality management actions (if relevant to site/project/program).
  • 2.7 Advise relevant personnel when specified water quality management actions are not being implemented effectively (if relevant to site/project/program).
  • 2.8 Conduct, or arrange for, additional monitoring/inspections after atypical events, legitimate complaints or government requests.
3 Verify water quality data
  • 3.1 Identify relevant job instructions, data and technical records in workplace information management system.
  • 3.2 Confirm that technical records provide sufficient information to ensure traceability/chain of custody for the monitoring activities involved.
  • 3.3 Compare monitoring data with expected values and identify any outliers.
  • 3.4 Inspect data records to identify any gaps and to check the integrity of data entry, transfers, alterations and calculations.
  • 3.5 Notify manager when data is incomplete or contains significant errors, and clarify what action to take.
4 Determine if results are acceptable and within expectation
  • 4.1 Compare results with expected and/or relevant guideline values and identify any significant differences or trends.
  • 4.2 Check the reliability of results by examining data or results from repeat measurements and/or tests of duplicate samples or other monitoring stations.
  • 4.3 Assess the significance of any recorded observations of atypical environmental or meteorological conditions.
  • 4.4 Check that all calculations are free from error.
  • 4.5 Check that estimations of uncertainty are reasonable and consistent with the sampling method and relevant guidelines, if relevant.
  • 4.6 Report results that meet workplace data quality standards and are consistent with expectations.
5 Investigate/rectify unexpected or unacceptable results
  • 5.1 Examine records of pre-use checks and calibration performance to ensure that the sampling equipment and/or monitoring/test instruments used meet specifications and workplace requirements.
  • 5.2 Establish whether human, environmental and/or meteorological factors could have affected the reliability of results.
  • 5.3 Check for obvious sources of interference that may have occurred during measurements or analysis of samples.
  • 5.4 Retrieve stored samples (if available) and assess whether they are atypical or contaminated.
  • 5.5 Arrange for control tests using the same or new samples to check unexpected results, if relevant.
  • 5.6 Report unexpected results that meet workplace data quality standards.
  • 5.7 Identify possible root causes of unacceptable results and appropriate preventative/corrective actions.
  • 5.8 Report investigation outcomes and recommendations for improvements in accordance with workplace procedures.
  • 5.9 Seek manager’s advice when challenges are beyond own technical competence or when input from environmental specialists may be required.
6 Keep management informed about water quality performance
  • 6.1 Provide regular reports about water quality, including instances of potential/actual non-conformance, incidents and the actions taken in each case.
  • 6.2 Report opportunities and recommendations for improvements in water quality monitoring or management in accordance with workplace procedures.
7 Maintain water quality records
  • 7.1 Ensure all water quality records are legible, accurate and satisfy workplace/legislative requirements.
  • 7.2 Store water quality records to enable easy access and review by authorised personnel in accordance with workplace procedures.
  • 7.3 Regularly review water quality records to identify any significant trends and impacts.
  • 7.4 Identify any problems with the maintenance and security of water quality records and resolve them promptly.
No information
No information
Replaces
State Code National Code Title Type
D7717 MSS027006A Coordinate water quality management activities Unit of competency
Replaced By
State Code National Code Title Type
OAS68 MSS027020 Coordinate water quality management activities Unit of competency