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Title / Manage water quality in a complex public pool
Level / 4 / Credits / 15
Purpose / This unit standard is intended for people working in a complex public pool and who are responsible for the quality of the water.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe pool water treatment and related equipment; operate pool equipment for water quality; test water quality and interpret the results; carry out corrective procedures to ensure water quality; and explain planned preventative maintenance in relation to pool water treatment equipment, in a complex public pool.
Classification / Recreation and Sport > Recreation and Sport - Aquatics
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1The following legislation and New Zealand Standards are relevant to this unit standard:
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
NZS 4441:2008 Swimming pool design Standard;
NZS 5826:2010 Pool water quality, available from
2Underpinning skills and knowledge useful for this unit standard could be evidenced by the holdingof Unit 20046, Monitor pool water quality and store pool water treatment chemicals,and Unit 25982,Demonstrate knowledge of microbiology and perform calculations relevant to water quality in a public pool.
3Definitions
Organisational requirements refer to policy and procedures of the public pooland include compliance with any applicable legislation, standards, and codes.
Public pool is defined in NZS 5826:2010 asthe pool or pools, their fixtures and surrounds, shower and changing areas, fun equipment, play areas, and attached facilities where they exist. A complex public pool tends to have the following characteristics: high bather loads; secondary water treatment; a high level of automation; and pool water features.
Pool water featuresrefer tointeractive equipment provided for water play such as hydro slide, wave machine, etc.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe pool water treatment and related equipment in a complex public pool.
Evidence requirements
1.1Filtration systems are described in terms of purpose, operation and maintenance requirements.
Rangesand, vacuum DE (diatomaceous earth), pressure DE.
1.2Recirculation systems are described in terms of purpose, operation and maintenance requirements.
Rangebalance tank, pump, inlet and outlet structures.
1.3Relationships between pool volume, turnover rate, filtration rates, and bather loading are explained in relation to water treatment equipment in complex public pools.
1.4Chlorine disinfection dosing systems are described in terms of purpose, operation and maintenance requirements.
1.5pH and alkalinity dosing systems are described in terms of purpose, operation and maintenance requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – sodium bicarbonate, carbon dioxide.
1.6Alternative disinfection systems are described in terms of purpose and operation.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – chlorine dioxide, ozone, mixed oxidants, ultra violet.
1.7Sodium thiosulphate is described in terms of purpose, and a dose rate is calculated.
1.8Pool water features are described in terms of implications for water treatment.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – hydro slide, lazy river, water playground, wave machine, bubble pit.
Outcome 2
Operate pool equipment for water quality in a complex public pool.
Evidence requirements
2.1Filtration is monitored and operated in accordance with organisational requirements.
2.2Recirculation system is monitored, operated, and maintained in accordance with organisational requirements.
2.3Dosing systems are monitored, operated, and maintained in accordance with organisational requirements.
Rangechlorine, pH, cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, coagulant.
Outcome 3
Test water quality and interpret the results in a complex public pool.
Evidence requirements
3.1Differences in testing requirements between a swimming pool or leisure pool and a spa or hydrotherapy pool are explained in relation to NZS 5826:2010.
3.2Water quality testing is carried out in accordance with organisational requirements and NZS 5826:2010.
Rangeswimming pool or leisure pool, spa pool;
tests for – pH, FAC (free available chlorine), TAC (total available chlorine), CAC (combined available chlorine), cyanuric acid, TDS (total dissolved solids), calcium hardness, alkalinity;
test methods may include but are not limited to – titration, photometer, colourometric measurement, calculation.
3.3Results of water quality testing are recorded in accordance with organisational requirements or NZS 5826:2010.
RangepH, FAC, TAC, CAC, cyanuric acid, TDS, calcium hardness, alkalinity.
3.4Interpretation of recorded water quality test results is in accordance with NZS 5826:2010.
Outcome 4
Carry out corrective procedures to ensure water quality in a complex public pool.
Evidence requirements
4.1Corrective procedures and associated calculations are carried out in accordance with organisational requirements.
RangepH, FAC, CAC, cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, alkalinity.
4.2Calculations are performed in relation to automated chemical corrective proceduresto ensure accuracy in accordance with NZS 5826:2010.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – CAC, TDS reduction, super chlorination, chlorine dioxide.
Outcome 5
Explain planned preventative maintenance in relation to pool water treatment equipment in a complex public pool.
Evidence requirements
5.1Planned preventative maintenance of pool water treatment equipment is explained in terms of ongoing management of pool water quality.
Rangepumps, filters, chemical dosing systems.
Replacement information / This unit standard replaced unit standard 5692 and unit standard 5693.Planned review date / 31 December 2013
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 12 February 2010 / 31 December 2011
Revision / 2 / 18 February 2011 / N/A
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0099
This AMAP can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Consent requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact Skills Active Aotearoa if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Skills Active Aotearoa LimitedSSB Code 101576 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018