CABWI Awarding Body · RQF Level 3
CABWI Level 3 Diploma In Water Engineering
You don’t just earn this. You learn to use it, one-to-one, on your own real work.
- LevelRQF Level 3
- Total credits73
- Guided learning610 hours
- Units in this qualification27
Awarded by CABWI Awarding Body · on the Ofqual register
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See how this course maps onto your role
Ten quick questions, one per Future Fluency, asked against this qualification rather than a generic one.
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What you’ll learn
What each unit actually teaches you to do
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These are the units CABWI Awarding Body registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated, and every one you earn is yours to keep.
Understanding analytical methods and techniques as applied to water sector operationsReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how analytical methods, techniques, and solutions are applied in the water industry to monitor water quality and process performance.
- Use a range of analytical methods and techniques that are appropriate for specific operational situations in the water industry.
- Interpret information obtained from analytical methods and techniques to provide solutions to typical operational problems encountered in the water industry.
- Understand the limitations of different analytical methods and techniques used in water sector operations.
Understanding contract management in the water industryReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the personal skills required to contribute effectively to contract delivery in the water industry.
- Know and understand the communication skills required to contribute effectively to contract delivery in the water industry.
- Understand how to implement effective financial control measures for contracts in the water industry.
Understanding customer service in the water sectorReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of customer service within a water sector context.
- Understand how to apply customer service principles in the water sector.
- Understand effective methods for communicating with customers in the water sector.
Understanding employment rights and responsibilities in the energy and utility sectorReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know employer and employee rights, responsibilities and own organisational procedures, including employment contracts, health and safety regulations, and grievance procedures.
- Know the factors that affect their own organisation and occupation, including economic conditions, technological advancements, and environmental regulations.
Understanding health and safety legislation for water industry operationsReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know the key aspects of health and safety legislation in the UK
- Understand how health and safety law is applied in the water industry
- Understand the processes involved in health and safety risk management in the water industry
Understanding how to analyse and address operational issues within a water industry organisationReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to analyse an operational problem or situation within the organisation, considering all relevant factors.
- Understand how to evaluate different options for addressing an operational problem or situation within the organisation.
- Understand how to select the most appropriate solution to an operational problem or situation within the organisation, justifying the choice.
- Provide clear and concise information to support the presentation and recommendations regarding the operational problem and proposed solution.
- Present the identified operational problem or situation, clearly outlining its impact and significance.
- Recommend a specific solution to the operational problem or situation, providing a rationale for its selection.
Understanding raw water quality, public health and hygienic working practicesReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the relevant water quality regulations and standards that apply to the water industry.
- Understand how raw water is processed prior to distribution to ensure it meets required quality standards.
- Know and understand the methods and technologies used to control water quality throughout the treatment and distribution process.
- Understand hygienic working practices that must be followed in the water industry to prevent contamination and ensure public health.
- Understand the importance of maintaining a safe and healthy working environment in the water industry.
Understanding reservoir engineering, construction and managementReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the background to reservoir legislation.
- Know and understand how reservoir legislation is translated into practise within organisations.
- Understand the design, construction and monitoring of dams.
- Know and understand the reservoir inspection process.
- Know and understand how to record and interpret data and information about reservoir inspections.
Understanding sewage sludge treatment, handling, disposal and de-watering processesReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the fundamental principles of sewage sludge treatment.
- Know and understand the operation of sewage sludge treatment processes.
- Know and understand the maintenance requirements of sewage sludge treatment processes.
- Understand how to diagnose faults within sludge treatment processes.
- Identify appropriate corrective actions for faults identified in sludge treatment processes.
Understanding sewerage network construction design techniques and processesReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the capital investment required for construction projects related to sewerage networks.
- Understand analytical methods and techniques in the hydraulic design of sewerage systems, including flow modelling and capacity planning.
- Understand the principles of designing and constructing waste water systems, including pipe sizing, material selection and structural considerations.
Understanding sewerage network construction, legislation and contractsReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the design processes involved in the construction of a sewerage network
- Understand the planning processes involved in the construction of a sewerage network
- Know the relevant legislation that governs the wastewater industry
- Know the relevant regulations that govern the wastewater industry
- Understand the purpose of key documents used in construction in the wastewater industry
- Understand the importance of key documents used in construction in the wastewater industry
- Explain the current Health and Safety legislation affecting the wastewater industry
- Understand the systems used for the control of sewers
- Understand the systems used for the management of sewers
Understanding sewerage network plant operations and maintenanceReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand how information is acquired and used to plan sewerage network plant operations and maintenance.
- Know the legislation affecting sewerage network operations, including environmental regulations and health and safety requirements.
- Know and understand methods used to maintain sewers and related installations, including cleaning, repair and rehabilitation techniques.
- Understand the environmental impact and companies' responsibility relating to coastal sewerage, sewage flooding and overflows and how common issues can be resolved.
- Understand incident investigation and enquiry procedures for sewage control, including reporting and documentation.
- Understand the form of term contract used in sewerage network maintenance.
Understanding techniques for measuring network performance and locating water leakageReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand techniques used in leakage location and network performance analysis.
- Prepare for leak location activities, including risk assessments and method statements.
- Undertake leak location activities using appropriate techniques and equipment.
Understanding the chemical and biological characteristics of water and wastewaterReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the System International (SI) units of measurement commonly used in the analysis of water and wastewater.
- Know and understand the key chemical characteristics of water, including pH, alkalinity, and hardness.
- Know and understand the key chemical characteristics of wastewater, including BOD, COD, and nutrient levels.
- Understand the biological characteristics of water, including the presence of microorganisms and algae.
- Understand the microbiological characteristics of water and wastewater, including the identification of pathogens.
- Understand the parameters used to measure the quality of water, including turbidity, colour, and taste.
- Understand the parameters used to measure the quality of wastewater, including suspended solids and dissolved oxygen.
- Understand the parameters used to measure the quality of trade effluent, including specific pollutants and their concentrations.
Understanding the enforcement of Water Fittings RegulationsReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know the components and functions of hot and cold water systems
- Understand the components and functions of hot and cold water systems
- Know the requirements for fittings used in water systems to comply with regulations
- Understand the requirements for fittings used in water systems to comply with regulations
- Know the requirements for materials used in water systems to comply with regulations
- Understand the requirements for materials used in water systems to comply with regulations
- Understand how backflow can occur in water systems
- Understand how contamination can occur in water systems
- Understand methods to prevent backflow in water systems
- Understand methods to prevent contamination in water systems
- Understand how to provide information regarding the water regulations to relevant parties
- Understand how to provide advice regarding the water regulations to relevant parties
- Identify the system to be inspected for compliance with water regulations
- Identify the key components of the system to be inspected
- Identify the method of operation of the system to be inspected
- Inspect systems for compliance with the water regulations, identifying any non-compliance
- Follow up inspections to secure compliance with the water regulations
- Follow up inspections to confirm compliance with the water regulations
Understanding the principles and operation of activated sludge biological treatmentReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the fundamental principles underpinning activated sludge treatment processes.
- Know and understand the operational procedures for maintaining the activated sludge process effectively.
- Understand how to diagnose common faults within the activated sludge system and identify appropriate corrective actions to resolve them.
Understanding the principles of biological filtration in wastewater treatment plant operationsReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know the principles of biological filtration treatment in wastewater treatment plant operations
- Understand the principles of biological filtration treatment in wastewater treatment plant operations
- Know the operation of plant used in biological filtration treatment
- Understand the operation of plant used in biological filtration treatment
- Know the maintenance requirements of plant used in biological filtration treatment
- Understand the maintenance requirements of plant used in biological filtration treatment
- Understand how to diagnose faults in biological filtration systems
- Understand how to identify appropriate corrective actions for faults in biological filtration systems
Understanding the principles of preliminary and primary wastewater treatmentReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the fundamental principles underlying preliminary and primary treatment of wastewater.
- Understand the operational procedures and maintenance requirements for plant and equipment used in preliminary and primary wastewater treatment.
- Understand how to investigate faults, identify their causes, and take appropriate corrective action in preliminary and primary wastewater treatment processes.
Understanding water industry leakage managementReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the importance of effective leakage management in the water industry.
- Know and understand the operational principles underpinning water industry leakage management strategies.
Understanding water network systems, distribution, operation and maintenanceReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the fundamental principles governing the operation of water network systems.
- Understand the purpose and effective utilisation of service reservoirs and pressure tanks within water networks.
- Know the relevant legislation affecting the operation and maintenance of water networks.
- Understand the application and functionality of water pipes, valves, pumps, and meters in water distribution.
- Undertake calculations related to water network systems, including flow rates and pressure.
- Understand how to implement and manage changes to water networks, considering potential impacts.
Understanding water resources and catchment managementReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to carry out calculations associated with the supply of water, including flow rates, pressure and volume.
- Know and understand legislation relating to reservoirs and dams, including safety regulations and environmental considerations.
- Know and understand the design and construction features of dams and water retaining structures.
- Understand water abstraction from various sources, including rivers, boreholes and reservoirs.
- Know the materials used in the construction and repair of aqueducts and trunk mains, and their properties.
- Understand catchment management principles and practices.
Understanding water sector construction and operational processes related to compliance and the environmentReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know the regulatory requirements for construction activities within the water industry, including permits and environmental impact assessments.
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders during construction projects in the water industry, including contractors, engineers, and regulators.
- Understand the importance of regulatory compliance in water industry operations, including monitoring, reporting, and enforcement.
- Understand the environmental regulations that apply to water industry operations, including discharge limits and waste management.
Understanding water sector organisational structures and how they interactReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of different personnel within the water industry.
- Understand the water industry regulatory framework, performance measures and quality assurance systems.
- Know common water sector operations and their associated processes.
Understanding water sector plant identification, engineering maintenance and operationReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the function and operation of a range of mechanical plant commonly found in the water industry.
- Understand the different types of pumps used in the water industry, their characteristics, and applications.
- Understand the use and maintenance requirements of compressors and blowers within water treatment facilities.
- Understand the safe use of power supply and distribution systems in the context of water industry plant.
- Apply mechanical engineering and electrical principles to the operation and maintenance of plant and equipment used in the water industry.
Understanding water treatment processes: coagulation and flocculation, clarification, filtration and sludge treatmentReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Know and understand the principles, operations, and applications of coagulation and flocculation processes in water treatment.
- Know and understand the principles, operations, and applications of clarification processes in water treatment.
- Know and understand the principles, operations, and applications of filtration processes in water treatment.
- Know and understand the principles, operations, and applications of disinfection processes in water treatment.
- Know and understand the principles, operations, and applications of sludge treatment processes in water treatment.
- Understand the inter-relationships and compatibility between the various water treatment processes.
- Understand how to diagnose faults within the water treatment processes and identify appropriate corrective actions.
Understanding water treatment processes: final water conditioning, storage and distribution, security of supply, chemicals and incident managementReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how water is conditioned for distribution to ensure it meets required standards
- Understand the principles of treated water storage and its importance
- Know the procedures for the safe and secure delivery of chemical stocks used in water treatment
- Know the procedures for the safe and secure storage of chemical stocks used in water treatment
- Understand the importance of effective monitoring of chemical stocks used in water treatment
- Understand incident management as a process within water treatment, including reporting and escalation
Understanding water treatment processes: process control, optimisation and commissioning of new plantReal unit · CABWI Awarding Body
What you'll be able to do
- Understand water treatment process control methods.
- Understand appropriate corrective actions to take in response to deviations in water treatment processes.
- Know and understand techniques used for the optimisation of water treatment processes.
- Know and understand the company processes involved in the commissioning of new water treatment plant and equipment.
The honest bit
You’ve started things before
Most courses were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.
There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.
And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.
Your passport
Every credit is a stamp you keep
Level 3 credits are regulated. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you’ve earned and what’s next.
Each stamp is a real unit registered against this qualification.
Who’d teach you this

The Evidence Evaluator
Assessor
Helps you show what you can actually do, gathering the evidence that proves it as you learn.
Meet all twelve tutorsWhere this connects
Where these credits take you
A qualification is never a dead end here. See the jobs its credits open, the national occupational standards its units map to, and the future skills they quietly build.
- Analyse data to identify potential leakage
- Assess the configuration of metered areas
- Educate and Increase Stakeholders’ Knowledge of Water Fittings Compliance Requirements
- Inspect Premises for Compliance with Water Fittings Regulations and Byelaws Legacy
- Oversee an approved contractors’ scheme
- Plan and schedule inspections of water fittings and premises
- Plan and schedule inspections of water fittings and premises Legacy
- Present oral evidence in court about water fittings contravention
Where this can lead
Senior Global Water Management Specialist
This Senior Global Water Management Specialist role is a critical stepping stone in a rewarding career dedicated to environmental protection and business resilience. You'll be challenged, you'll learn a lot, and you'll make a real difference. If you're ready to lead, mentor, and tackle some of our most important environmental challenges, we'd love to hear from you.
See the whole journey →Showing 6 roles, drawn from 13 job records mapped to this qualification.
Skills it covers
What the job actually needs. These are the standards the units are built against, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.
How you’ll actually learn this
One-to-one, on your own real work
A qualification is usually something done to you: sit the class, sit the exam, hope it sticks. Here it’s the opposite. You learn it one-to-one with a companion, on your own real work, and you keep going until you can use it, not just recall it.
Applied to your work in any of these jobs
Learners will understand and apply analytical methods and techniques used in water sector operations to monitor water quality and process performance. The unit includes selecting appropriate methods, interpreting data, and providing solutions to operational problems.
- Remember
- Understand
- Apply
- Analyse
- Evaluate
- Create
Built for CABWI Level 3 Diploma In Water Engineering
27 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by CABWI Awarding Body.
- Understanding analytical methods and techniques as applied to water sector operations
- Understanding contract management in the water industry
- Understanding customer service in the water sector
- Understanding employment rights and responsibilities in the energy and utility sector
- Understanding health and safety legislation for water industry operations
- Understanding how to analyse and address operational issues within a water industry organisation
and 21 more in the full unit list below.
One to one, not one to many
No two people run this the same way
A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.
- Your actual work Every unit is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
- What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
- The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
- How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
- Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.
See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.
Why it sticks
Most courses stop at remembering
There’s a well-known ladder of how deeply you learn something, called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most courses get you up the first two rungs: you remember some facts, you pass a test, you forget it. Real skill lives at the top. Judging, deciding, creating. And this isn’t a generic ladder: every rung has a named Zavmo tutor who walks you up it.
- 6CreateThe Creative Catalyst
- 5EvaluateThe Evidence Evaluator
- 4AnalyseThe Analyst
- 3ApplyThe Coach
- 2UnderstandThe Connector
- 1RememberThe Builder
Where most courses leave you Where Zavmo takes you
The value
Why the companion is worth £70 a month
You’re not paying for the units. They’re regulated, and the same wherever you earn them. You’re paying for the one thing that decides whether you actually get there: a companion that makes them stick, on your real work.
That is one-to-one on this qualification, every day, on the work you already do, for £70 a month. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it. Billed monthly, cancel any time and billing stops.
Earned on your own work, taught to the top.
Everything you just read, learned one-to-one on the job you already do. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it.
Build my plan, freeNo card. See how this qualification maps onto your role and meet the tutors who’d teach it, free. The learning begins when you subscribe. It’s £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.