The Value of Operatoe Certification / Registration Schemes for Water Business
Annual Conference
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In September 2010 the Victorian Department of Health issued the “Victorian Framework for Water Treatment Operator Competencies – Best Practice Guidelines” (the Guidelines). This has been followed by the National Certification Framework (NCF) for drinking water operators in 2014, currently undergoing pilot programs in Queensland and New South Wales.
An important aspect of the Guidelines and NCF is the development of an Operator Certification Scheme, which formally recognises the professionalism of drinking water operators. The objective of certification is to address the inconsistencies in training and competency of drinking water operators across the country, which has been highlighted by regulators and industry as a potential public health risk.
New Zealand has its own operator registration scheme, the Water Operations Professionals. This scheme has been available to water treatment, wastewater treatment and water reticulation operators since 2010 and is designed to verify a registered person has a specific set of qualifications, skills and abilities to perform a particular job.
This paper presents an example of the implementation of operator certification and training schemes into Veolia’s operations and the resulting benefits to our organization at the local, regional and national level.