SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Operate a membrane process 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
254117  Operate a membrane process 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Water Sector 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 12 - Physical Planning and Construction Civil Engineering Construction 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 3  NQF Level 03  8 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2026-06-30   2029-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard is for a person who operates a membrane plant for the treatment of water or wastewater. People credited with this unit standard are able to measure physical quantities using SI units. Learners will be provided with knowledge of different measuring equipment and methods applicable in the water industry.

Learners credited with this unit standard will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the principals of membrane processes.
  • Prepare membrane plant for service.
  • Start-up and monitor the membrane plant.
  • Stabilise out of normal conditions.
  • Shutdown and isolate out of service plant.
  • Clean the membrane plant according to organizations standard procedures. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    It is assumed that learners are already competent in the following:
  • Communication at NQF Level 2.
  • Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 2. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    N/A 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of membrane processes. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The key process streams and elements are drawn using a membrane plant process flow diagram. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Key process streams and elements includes but are not limited to feed permeate and concentrate streams, high and low pressure pumps, pressure control valves, flow meters, pre-treatment system and filters, flow meters, membranes and membrane housings, high and low pressure pipes.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The purpose and application of each process stream and element are explained with examples. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Types of membrane process are explained with examples. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Membrane processes:
  • Reverse Osmosis (Hyper-filtration), Ultra-filtration, Nano-filtration, Micro-Filtration.
     
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The application of each type of membrane process in the treatment of water and wastewater is explained with examples. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Water and wastewater include but are not limited to sea water, brackish water, industrial effluent, industrial process streams, water and waste water process streams.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The concept of water recovery is explained with examples. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Explain types of membrane processes and the advantages, disadvantage and application of each type. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Types of Membrane processes include but are not limited to tubular, hollow fine fiber, spiral wound, plate.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    Pre-treatment requirements for membrane process are described in own context. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Prepare membrane plant for service. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Instructions to prepare plant for service are confirmed according to organisational standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Stakeholders affected by the operation are informed in accordance to organisational procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Tools and equipment required to prepare plant for service are obtained according to organisational standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Membrane plant is prepared for service according to standard operating procedures. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Membrane plant preparation refer to setting and checking of valves, checking of tank levels and setting of electrical switches.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Safety and regulatory requirements are adhered to when preparing memberane plant according to standard operating procedures. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Start-up and monitor the membrane plant. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Plant start up is performed according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Plant start up conditions are monitored according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Routine plant monitoring activities are performed according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Plant conditions are reported and recorded according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Work orders to sustain plant operability performed according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Sampling and chemical dosing activities are performed according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    Safety and regulatory requirements are adhered to standard operating procedures. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Stabilise out of normal conditions. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Including but not limited to pipe leaks, chemical spillages, valve positioning discrepancies, Flow discrepancies, chemical parameters, unsafe plant conditions. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Out of normal conditions identified by comparing actual and required plant conditions. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Out of normal conditions are analysed, reported and recorded in order to take corrective action. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Plant conditions are assessed in order to ensure required plant status achieved. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 5 
    Shutdown and isolate out of service plant. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Limited to mechanical plant isolations. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Instructions to shut down and isolate plant are confirmed according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Stakeholders affected by operations are informed according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Membrane plant is shut down according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Tools and equipment required to isolate plant are identified and obtained according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Membrane plant is isolated according to standard operating procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Inventory requirements are assessed and acted upon according to organisational requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    Plant conditions are reported and recorded according to standard operating procedures. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 6 
    Clean the membrane plant according to organizations standard procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The need to clean the plant is explained in accordance with organisational requirements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The importance of shutting down the plant when cleaning is explained with examples. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Cleaning chemicals are identified and explained in terms of their uses. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The plant is prepared and set for cleaning purposes in accordance with oragnisational procedures. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Prepare refers to the preparation of pumps, valves and tanks.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The importance of restarting the plant after cleaning is explained with examples. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    The effect of the cleaning operation is recorded and reported for corrective action. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • Anyone assessing a learner or moderating the assessment of a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.
  • Any institution offering learning that will enable the achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA.
  • Assessment and moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the ETQA`s policies and guidelines for assessment and moderation.
  • Moderation must include both internal and external moderation of assessments at exit points of the qualification, unless ETQA policies specify otherwise. Moderation should also encompass achievement of the competence described both in individual unit standards as well as the integrated competence described in the qualification. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Learners should have a knowledge and understanding of:
  • Chemical substance:
    > Understanding cleaning chemicals and fouling mechanisms.
  • Mechanical and electrical equipment:
    > Understanding of high and low pressure pumps, membrane plant valves and flow meters, and pressure gauges.
  • Safety and regulatory requirement understanding.
  • Sampling and Chemical dosing requirements.
  • Calculate Volumes, capacity and utilization of membrane plant.
  • Operating parameters and technical specifications of membrane plant equipment.
  • Alternative desalination processes such as evaporation. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems relating to sub optimal operation of the plant in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made by using the membrane process to remove particulate matter. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others as a member of a small team to ensure optimization of the water and wastewater treatment process. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Plan, organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively by following work orders. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information relating problems and conditions of the membrane plant. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the form of oral and/or written presentation to inform key stakeholders of the operations to take place. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation recognising that membrane process is one of the effective processes for water and wastewater treatment. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Notes to the Assessor:
  • It is recommended that simulated plant conditions be utilised for assessment where plant is unavailable for assessment. However, simulated conditions must be as close to the actual plant conditions as possible.
  • The candidate will be regarded as not yet competent should the safety of plant, people or material be compromised at any stage of the assessment.
  • Chemicals used for treatment of condensate are hazardous, therefore when assessing candidates on actual plant conditions assessors must intervene if dangerous situations become apparent.

    Integrated Assessment:

    When conducting assessments, assessors must ensure that they are familiar with the full text of the unit standards being assessed. Assessors must ensure that the assessment covers the specific outcomes, critical cross-field outcomes and essential embedded knowledge by developing assessment activities and tools, which are appropriate to the contexts in which the learners are working. These activities and tools may include self-assessment, peer assessment, formative and summative assessment. It may be more effective and efficient to assess a number of unit standards together in an integrated way, thus reducing the overall number of assessments and ensuring that commonalities that exist between a number of unit standards are captured in a way that makes sense for assessment.

    Assessment Option:

    Learners could be assessed using the following methods:
  • Oral or written questions.
  • Observation.
  • Product sample reports. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  60190   National Certificate: Water and Wastewater Process Control  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  EWSETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. CHILUTSI TRADING ENTERPRISE 
    2. DR HE MAEPA INSTITUTE 
    3. ERGO MAPHELONG INSTITUTE (PTY) LTD 
    4. ERWAT 
    5. GG SQUARED PROJECTS 
    6. HAZYVIEW WATER SKILLS ACADEMY 
    7. K-BONENG CONSULTING SERVICES (PTY) LTD 
    8. Kelvin Power (Pty) Ltd 
    9. NTANDOKAZI HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD 
    10. PIONEER BUSINESS CONSULTING (PTY) LTD 
    11. SEANEGO INTERGRATED NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 
    12. TWINMARK STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.