NZQA unit standard / 4277 version 7
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Title / Investigate sources of irrigation water and its management in a sports turf environment
Level / 6 / Credits / 10
Purpose / This unit standard is for people who are required to manage water in the sports turf environment.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: investigate water extraction and treatment procedures for turfgrass use; interpret water quality test results to select suitable water source for sports turf irrigation purposes; evaluate principles of stream, pond, and lake management as a means of water harvesting for irrigation of a sports turf area; and investigate the management of irrigation water, and erosion control in a sports turf environment.
Classification / Sports Turf > Sports Turf Construction and Drainage
Available grade / Achieved

Guidance Information

1 Performance criteria must be consistent with all relevant procedures, guidelines, and legislation (and their subsequent amendments) which include but are not limited to:

·  Workplace procedures

·  Resource Management Act 1991.

2 Definitions

Workplace procedures – the procedures and standards of professional performance accepted by the industry in which the work is being undertaken.

Outcomes and performance criteria

Outcome 1

Investigate water extraction and treatment procedures for turfgrass use.

Performance criteria

1.1 Use at least two sources of publicly-available empirical information to identify at least two major sources of water supply in a selected region.

Range sources of publicly-available empirical information may include but are not limited to – New Zealand Meteorological Service, Regional Councils, Ministry for the Environment;

sources of water supply may include but are not limited to – precipitation, streams, rivers, lakes, ground water, mains supply, recycled water.

1.2 Investigate at least two sources of ground water and the implications of each of those sources for bore hole extraction.

Range sources of ground water may include but are not limited to – confined aquifer, unconfined aquifer, water table, spring, flowing artesian well, water table well, piezometric pressure, non-flowing artesian well, perched water table, intermittent spring.

1.3 Investigate legislative control and at least two cost factors which influence extraction and storage procedures for different water sources.

Range legislative control factors include but are not limited to – Resource Management Act 1991, extraction consents;

cost factors may include but are not limited to – surface storage, tank storage, bore holes.

1.4 Analyse at least two treatment process elements for potable water for minimum requirements for recycled water used on turfgrass areas.

Range treatment process elements may include but are not limited to – storage, screening, aeration, coagulation, flocculation, clarification, filtration, pH adjustment, disinfection, softening.

1.5 Analyse at least two factors involved in using treated water and determine the implications of its use on turfgrass areas.

Range factors may include but are not limited to – treatment procedures, application mechanisms, transportation logistics, user reaction, cost, adverse and beneficial soil and turf effects, human health.

Outcome 2

Interpret water quality test results to select suitable water source for sports turf irrigation purposes.

Performance criteria

2.1 Interpret results to identify the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water quality relevant to turfgrass growth.

Range physical, chemical and biological characteristics include but are not limited to – total soluble salts, electrical conductivity, sodium hazard, pH, osmotic pressure, toxic ion levels, bicarbonate, soil factors, colour, hardness, turbidity, odour, biological oxygen demand, faecal coli concentration.

2.2 Interpret water quality results to determine if chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water quality conform to turfgrass growth requirements.

2.3 Interpret water quality results to identify the level of tolerance warm season turf grasses and cool season turf grasses will have to the tested water quality.

2.4 Interpret results to identify how the water quality identified will influence soil characteristics.

Range soil characteristics may include but are not limited to – sodium and/or salinity hazard, structural stability, leaching ability, soil structure, climatic zone.

2.5 Document and justify the water source selection process.

Outcome 3

Evaluate principles of stream, pond, and lake management as a means of water harvesting for irrigation of a sports turf area.

Performance criteria

3.1 Evaluate at least two key factors to identify the suitability of clay soil lining systems and synthetic lining systems.

Range key factors may include but are not limited to – irrigation demand, catchment size, catchment field, catchment water source, types of dam, climatic data, abstraction rate, storage to excavation ratio.

3.2 Evaluate at least two key factors to identify effects of periodic flooding on turfgrass areas.

Range key factors may include but are not limited to – erosion, deposition of soil, salt and debris, turfgrass susceptibility, scale, algae, renovation procedures.

3.3 Evaluate methods of algae and odour control in ponds and lakes to provide a comparison of mode of action and efficacy of the methods considered.

Range methods may include but are not limited to – fountains, air injection, waterfalls and streams, constructed wetlands, sunlight and nutrient levels, filters, chemical amendments.

3.4 Analyse information prepared for a nominated sports turf area to develop a suitable catchment model for water harvesting for that turf area.

Outcome 4

Investigate the management of irrigation water, and erosion control in a sports turf environment.

Performance criteria

4.1 Analyse artificial and natural stabilising techniques to identify the nature of the material, its application and its mode of action for each technique.

Range stabilising techniques include but are not limited to – mulching, hydroseeding, geotextiles, vegetated concrete block systems, turf reinforcement mats, revegetation mats, vegetated geocellular containment systems, gabions, concrete, asphalt, riprap, concrete-filled geocellular containment systems.

4.2 Analyse site conditions to determine the choice of erosion control and stabilising technique to be used.

Range site conditions include but are not limited to – water flow intensity, water flow duration, steepness and length of slope, soil type, watershed area, precipitation intensity and duration.

4.3 Assess soil suitability for embankment building in accordance with current industry practice.

Range assessment will include application of - funnel test, cup test, dispersion tests, dilatancy test.

4.4 Describe at least two procedures for construction of bank walls for water harvesting or storage purposes in accordance with current industry practice.

Range procedures may include but are not limited to – establishing bank slopes and batters, clay blanket method, key trench, impervious core, compaction process, topsoil stripping, topsoil stockpiling, excavation process, earthworks calculations.

Planned review date / 31 December 2022

Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions

Process / Version / Date / Last Date for Assessment /
Registration / 1 / 22 June 1995 / 31 December 2019
Revision / 2 / 16 September 1996 / 31 December 2019
Revision / 3 / 10 December 1997 / 31 December 2019
Revision / 4 / 8 June 1999 / 31 December 2019
Revision / 5 / 12 December 2000 / 31 December 2019
Review / 6 / 27 March 2006 / 31 December 2019
Review / 7 / 25 January 2018 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0037

This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.

Comments on this unit standard

Please contact Primary Industry Training Organisation if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

Primary Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101558 / Ó New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018