ZDHC publishes guide for wastewater system operator

ZDHC provides a framework on water
treatment operator qualifications to ensure wastewater is consistently and
effectively treated before discharge.

The ZDHC Foundation found that unless
appropriate training is in place for wastewater system operators, some
manufacturing facilities will struggle to meet the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines,
and in some cases, maintain regulatory compliance.

With the launch of the ZDHC
Wastewater System Operator Minimum Qualifications Guidelines (‘the
Guidelines’), ZDHC standardises the minimum qualifications for education,
training and experience required of operators and technicians operating
wastewater treatment systems at all manufacturing facilities and other
facilities operating effluent treatment plants (ETP). The guidelines help
facilities to identify skill gaps and prepare for focused training solutions.

Used in combination with the ZDHC
Wastewater Guidelines, they will enable facilities to minimise water pollution
in the direct habitat of wastewater treatment plants and ETPs as well as
further downstream and ultimately meet the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines more
successfully and cost-effectively.

?“The Wastewater Treatment System
Operator Minimum Qualifications Guidelines will be instrumental in driving
much-needed structural change,” said John
Rydzewski, Director of Water Programs at NIKE. “They will provide an
invaluable tool to ensure cleaner wastewater discharges that will enable
cost-effective wastewater recycling to reduce the freshwater footprints of
textile mills.”

?It’s important to point out that
since these Guidelines focus on the fundamentals of water management and
wastewater treatment, they are relevant to any industry or organisation that
concerns itself with the creation, treatment, management, or discharge of
wastewater. The ZDHC Wastewater Treatment System Operator Minimum
Qualifications Guidelines were modelled after the operator certification
programmes that have proven to be effective in preventing water pollution
through the correct operation of municipal wastewater treatment systems.

?“The (Wastewater Treatment Operator
Minimum Qualification) Guidelines are a landmark document for our industry,
setting the minimum qualifications required for ETP operators based on the
complexity of their plants, said Jimmy Summers, Chief Sustainability Officer at
Elevate Textiles. “This will encourage operators around the world to increase
their knowledge level, and improve the quality of the effluent from the ETPs. I
am excited to see the positive impact that the Guidelines will have on people
and the environment.”

?The Guidelines furthermore encourage
wastewater treatment operators to continue their education and invest in a
long-term career in water management and wastewater treatment.

They are complementary to the ZDHC
Academy wastewater management training. It’s recommended that facilities
operating ETPs make themselves familiar with the Guidelines and qualifications.
Information on the roll-out of the training plans will be announced via ZDHC
channels over the coming months.

Visit ZDHC Roadmap to Zero, to
download guidance and supporting documents around sustainable chemical management
and wastewater management, including the Wastewater System Operator Minimum
Qualifications Guidelines.