NZASE UNIT STANDARD ITEM BANK QUESTIONS

Each of the following questions is stand-alone and can be used to assess the element below:

The intention of this item bank is for assessors to develop assessment tasks by choosing complete
questions.

Note: If combining parts of questions, you must make sure all Performance Criteria for an element
are included in the assessment task.

Unit Standard 18979

Number

Unit Standard Title Demonstrate knowledge of chemical processes in the context of

the environment.

Element 1 Describe treatment of water.

Range One of drinking water, wastewater (human or industrial or

agricultural waste).

PC 1.1 The description identifies the purpose of the treatment.

PC 1.1 The description outlines two key steps in the treatment process.
QUESTION A:
You have studied the following water treatment process.

___________________________________________________________
(teacher to fill in before test)
{ie drinking water, human wastewater, industrial wastewater, agricultural wastewater}

1. What is the purpose of water treatment?

Insert 3 lines
1.1

2. Complete the following table to describe what happens in three key steps in the water
treatment process.
Step What happens in this step

1.2

QUESTION A:
PC Evidence Judgement
1.1 Eg removal of extra nutrients from Purpose of water treatment identified
the water, removal of solid material,
removal of harmful micro-organisms
1.2 Eg Primary sedimentation tanks. The TWO steps outlined
suspended organic matter settles to
the bottom of the tank where a slow
moving scraper drags this raw sludge
to a hopper at the inlet end of the
tank.

Eg All foul air sources are pumped

through the soil filter where the
odorous compounds are absorbed
onto soil particles and destroyed by
naturally-occurring soil bacteria.
QUESTION B:
Use the resource materials provided to produce a poster showing the treatment of human
sewage. Your poster must tell the purpose of the treatment and outline what happens in at
least three key steps.
1.1
1.2
Resource 1 From http://www.ccc.govt.nz/WasteWater/TreatmentPlant/FlowDiagram.asp
Resource 2 From http://www.ccc.govt.nz/WasteWater/
In Christchurch, sewage (which is almost all water) is carried through a network of
underground pipes and pumps to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Over 80 pumping
stations pump the sewage from low areas around the city, particularly near the Avon
and Heathcote Rivers. Five terminal pumping stations then pump all the flow to the
Treatment Plant. Commissioning of major extensions to the complex has occurred in
the last few years.
Preliminary Treatment
The sewage passes through four fine screens that remove debris from the flow. The
debris from the screens is washed and compacted for burial at the landfill. The next
stage takes place in the pre-aeration and grit removal tanks, where air is injected
along the sides of the tank. The air provides oxygen to the flow and assists in
removing fat, grease and grit.
Primary Treatment
The sewage now enters the primary sedimentation tanks. The suspended organic
matter settles to the bottom of the tank where a slow moving scraper drags this raw
sludge to a hopper at the inlet end of the tank.
Secondary Treatment
From the primary sedimentation tanks the effluent flows in a channel to large pumps
that push the flow to the top of the two trickling filter towers. These are packed with
a plastic media that the liquid trickles through. This process converts dissolved
pollution into solids that can be settled. Prior to settling in the final clarifiers the
effluent passes through aeration tanks where fine bubbles of air are blown into the
bottom of the tanks. This part of the process removes more of the pollution load and
improves the settling of the solids in the final clarifiers.
Odour Treatment
All foul air sources are pumped through the soil filter where the odorous compounds
are absorbed onto soil particles and destroyed by naturally-occurring soil bacteria.
Solids Treatment
Raw sludge from the primary sedimentation tanks and the biological solids from the
final clarifiers are pumped to the four digesters. Each holds 5000m3 of sludge and is
heated to 38oC. Bacteria that thrive under these conditions break down the organic
matter over a period of days, releasing carbon dioxide and methane, and changing
the decaying solids into ‘biosolids’ that are applied to land as a fertiliser. The
methane produced in the digestion process is used as a fuel for engines, producing
power for the plant and the national grid. Heat recovered from the engines is used to
heat the digesters.
Oxidation Ponds
The 230 hectares of ponds remove a portion of the remaining pollution load and
greatly reduce the number of potentially disease-causing micro-organisms. Oxygen is
maintained here by the combination of wind-induced surface aeration and the
photosynthetic action of naturally occurring algae. The sun's ultra violet radiation and
feeding by zooplankton provide an inhospitable environment for disease-causing
micro-organisms, which are greatly reduced in numbers. The final part of the
treatment chain for the wastewater, the oxidation ponds also encompass the Te
Huinga Manu Wildlife Refuge, an important habitat for a variety of bird species.
Discharge
Discharge into the Estuary of the Avon and Heathcote Rivers occurs twice a day for
the first few hours following high tide.
Operating Data (2001/2002)
• Average Flow: 163,000 m3/day
• Average BOD Received: 42 tonnes/day
• Suspended Solids Received: 24.4 tonnes/day
• Faecal Coliforms Removal: 99.9%
• Gas Production: 13,873 m3/day
• Annual Electricity Production: 9,441,172 kwh
• Connected Population: 320,600

QUESTION B:
Q PC Evidence Judgement
B1 1.1 Eg removal of extra nutrients from Purpose of water treatment identified.
the water, removal of solid material,
removal of harmful micro-organisms.
2 1.2 Eg Primary sedimentation tanks. The TWO steps outlined
suspended organic matter settles to
the bottom of the tank where a slow
moving scraper drags this raw sludge
to a hopper at the inlet end of the
tank.

Eg All foul air sources are pumped

through the soil filter where the
odorous compounds are absorbed
onto soil particles and destroyed by
naturally-occurring soil bacteria.
QUESTION C:

1. Here is an outline diagram showing treatment of drinking water

RAIN

Stage Sedimentation
Screening
(A) Tank

Stage B Coagulation
(B) Tank

Stage C Storage
Consumer.
(C) Tank

a) What is the purpose of this type of water treatment?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

1.1

1 b) Each stage has a special job, e.g:

Screening metal grids are used to keep out weeds & other debris.

Sedimentation large particles settle to the bottom.

Coagulation chemicals are added to make particles stick together.

Three stages on the diagram have not been named.

From the list below fill in the missing names and explain what these stages do.

Name List [You only need three!]

Chlorination Sewage Tank Filter bed

Reservoir Hydro-electric dam

Stage a) Name ………………. What it does ……………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Stage b) Name ......................... What it does ……………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Stage c) Name ......................... What it does …………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………
1.2

QUESTION C:
PC Evidence Judgement
1.1 Eg to make the water clean for Purpose of water treatment identified
drinking
Eg to kill microbes
1.2 Reservoir TWO steps outlined
What it does – stores rainwater
Filter bed
What it does – removes most large
particles
Chlorination
What it does –kills most microbes
QUESTION D:
Complete the following questions during the field trip to the drinking water treatment
plant, wastewater treatment station or dairy farm.

1. What is the purpose of this type of water treatment?

Insert 3 lines
1.1

2. Complete the following table to describe what happens in three key steps in the water
treatment process. You may not need to fill in every box.
Step What happens in this step

1.2
QUESTION D:
PC Evidence Judgement
1.1 Eg removal of extra nutrients from Purpose of water treatment identified
the water, removal of solid material,
removal of harmful micro-organisms
1.2 Eg Mixed with water during clean up, TWO steps outlined
held in collecting ponds, pumped out
and sprayed on pasture.