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Title / Install, test, and maintain water supply backflow prevention devices
Level / 4 / Credits / 11
Purpose / This unit standard is for people who work in the plumbing industry.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: determine requirements for, determine the position of, and install, test, and maintain water supply backflow prevention devices; work safely and with care; and demonstrate knowledge of regulatory requirements, selection of methods and materials, and underpinning concepts and principles, as applied to the installation, testing, and maintenance of water supply backflow prevention devices.
Classification / Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying > Plumbing
Available grade / Achieved
Prerequisites / Current plumbing certificate or licence as issued under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006.
Guidance Information
1 Legislation, standards, and codes applicable to this unit standard include but are not limited to:
Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Building Act 2004;
Local Government Act 2002;
Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Regulations 1977;
Water Supplies Protection Regulations 1961;
AS/NZS 2845.1:1998 Water Supply – Backflow prevention devices – Materials, design and performance requirements;
AS/NZS 3500.1:2003, Plumbing and Drainage – Water services, Section 5.2; and
NZS 3604:1999 Timber Framed Buildings;
NZS 5807:1980 Code of practice for industrial identification by colour, wording or other coding; available at http://www.standards.co.nz;
New Zealand Building Code, Clause G10 Piped Services, Clause G12 Water Supplies, current versions and any related compliance documents, available at http://www.dbh.govt.nz;
Backflow Prevention for Drinking Water Suppliers Code of Practice, 2006, available from the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association, email .
Any legislation, standard, or code superseding any of the above will apply, pending review of this unit standard.
2 Reference
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cross-Connection Control Manual, February 2003, Chapter 5. EPA 816-R-03-002, available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater.
3 Range
backflow prevention devices for – atmospheric vacuum break (AVB), pressure vacuum breaker (PVB), spill proof vacuum breaker (SPVB), wafer check, registered air gap, double detector check, double check valve, hose connection vacuum breaker, reduced pressure zone device, single detector check valve, vacuum break. For performance criterion 3.5 only the following from the range above are able to be tested – pressure vacuum breaker (PVB), spill proof vacuum breaker (SPVB), double check valve, reduced pressure zone device.
4 Credit for this unit standard does not entitle the candidate to legally perform: the testing of backflow prevention devices in the capacity of an Independent Qualified Person (IQP), or Accredited Backflow Prevention Tester (ABT).
5 This unit standard requires the application of theory as included in the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Regulations 1977. These Regulations are currently under review to align them with the newer Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006.
6 Definitions
Job requirements refers to specific requirements of the job at hand not covered by job specifications.
Job specifications, for the purpose of this unit standard, refers to instructions (oral, written, graphic) and may include any of the following: manufacturers’ instructions; design drawing detail specifications; specifications from a specialist source such as an architect, designer, engineer, or a supervisor; and site or work specific requirements. Where job specifications are in conflict with applicable legislation, standards, and/or codes, such legislation, standards, and/or codes shall take precedence for the purpose of assessment.
Maintain may refer to all or any of – repair, upgrade, alter, remove.
Other services refers to any existing installed services.
Regulatory requirements, for the purpose of this unit standard, refers to applicable legislation, standards, and codes.
Outcomes and performance criteria
Outcome 1
Determine requirements for water supply backflow prevention devices.
Performance criteria
1.1 Backflow prevention devices are described in terms of their operation.
1.2 Requirements for backflow prevention devices are identified in accordance with water supply features.
Range pressure (negative, positive), flow, associated drains.
1.3 Backflow prevention devices are selected which are suitable for the risk.
Range risk – high, medium, low.
Outcome 2
Determine the position of water supply backflow prevention devices.
Performance criteria
2.1 Water supply backflow prevention devices and associated drains, if required, are positioned in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions.
Outcome 3
Install and test water supply backflow prevention devices.
Performance criteria
3.1 Water supply backflow prevention devices are installed in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and relevant standards and codes.
3.2 Water supply backflow prevention devices are connected to connections and termination points in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and relevant standards and codes.
3.3 Water supply backflow prevention devices are protected in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and relevant standards and codes.
3.4 Water supply pipelines are identified by label and colour in accordance with relevant standards and codes.
3.5 Water supply backflow prevention devices are commissioned and tested in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions, EPA 816-R-03-002, and relevant standards and codes.
3.6 The installation meets job specifications.
Outcome 4
Maintain water supply backflow prevention devices.
Performance criteria
4.1 Installed water supply backflow prevention devices are assessed in accordance with maintenance requirements and relevant standards and codes.
4.2 Faults are identified in terms of causes and means of rectification.
4.3 Faults are rectified in accordance with maintenance requirements and job specifications.
Outcome 5
Work safely and with care.
Performance criteria
5.1 Practical activities are carried out avoiding harm to people and damage to property, other services, materials, tools, and equipment.
Outcome 6
Demonstrate knowledge of regulatory requirements, selection of methods and materials, and underpinning concepts and principles, as applied to the installation, testing, and maintenance of water supply backflow prevention devices.
Performance criteria
6.1 Applicable sections of legislation, standards, and codes are described in terms of their application to the installation, testing, and maintenance of water supply backflow prevention devices.
6.2 Selection of methods and materials is justified.
Range job specifications, operation of the installed devices; may include job requirements.
6.3 Underpinning concepts and principles are explained in terms of their application to the installation, testing, and maintenance of water supply backflow prevention devices.
Range back pressure, differential pressure, siphon.
Replacement information / This unit standard was replaced by unit standard 30598 and unit standard 30599.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for Assessment /Registration / 1 / 22 July 1994 / 31 December 2022
Revision / 2 / 19 June 1996 / 31 December 2022
Revision / 3 / 1 April 1997 / 31 December 2022
Review / 4 / 25 October 2007 / 31 December 2022
Review / 5 / 26 October 2017 / 31 December 2022
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0003
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, 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.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR 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.
The Skills OrganisationSSB Code 100401 / Ó New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2017 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut