Build and Maintain Essential Water Infrastructure
Combined-Unit Course
The industry landscape
Sydney Water has identified a $34 billion 10-year capital-works pipeline focused on renewal, expansion and asset resilience.
At the same time, backbone assets such as the Warragamba Pipeline demand maintenance regimes that prioritise hygiene, isolation, documentation and minimal network interruption.
Australia’s Urban National Performance Report underscores the critical role of maintenance and record-keeping in meeting service-standards and regulatory benchmarks.
Why now is the moment
With major infrastructure investment in Greater Sydney’s growth corridors, including North-West zones, the demand for workers with combined competency in installation and maintenance is rising.
Moreover, regulatory and funding frameworks (for example, Resilient Rivers infrastructure-programs) emphasise asset reliability and workforce readiness, rather than just capital spend.
A practical call
For practitioners seeking to align their skills with sector demands and regulatory standards, developing competence across both construction and maintenance delivers flexibility and value. Having workers who can both install new assets to spec and maintain existing networks ensures fewer hand-offs, clearer accountability and robust service delivery.
Course Overview: The units of competency
NWPNET049 – Construct and Install Water Distribution Assets and
NWPNET061 – Maintain and Repair Network Assets for Drinking Water involve the skills and knowledge required to participate in, and make decisions for, the safe and timely construction, installation, maintenance and repair of water distribution assets.
What the units deliver
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constructing and installing pipes, fittings and associated assets; verifying workmanship
and completing finalisation tasks; training.gov.au -
maintaining and repairing drinking-water network assets (storages, pumping and
dosing stations, pipelines), plus reviewing, reporting and recording work. training.gov.au -
These units apply to field and operations staff working under supervision, either independently or within a team, using familiar resources and ensuring minimal environmental impact.
Why This Course Matters
With utilities such as Sydney Water investing heavily in infrastructure renewal and network expansions, the need for skilled professionals in asset construction and maintenance is higher than ever. For example, Sydney Water is executing a multi-billion-dollar capital works programme to renew ageing assets and accommodate growth. awa.asn.au
Furthermore, important regulatory and environmental drivers mean that accurate installation, maintenance and reporting of water assets are critical for service reliability and compliance.
Water Authorities' news
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Australian Water Association (AWA) – “Addressing the skills shortage in the water sector: attracting, training and retaining talent.” Sept 19 2024. Australian Water Association
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Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) & AWA partnership – “promote water industry careers.”
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Sydney Water – Major projects pipeline: $34 billion over 10 years for asset renewal and new investments.
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Sydney Water – “Preventing catastrophic pipe failures … 22,600 km of pipes, maintenance costs ~$40 m/year.” University of Technology Sydney
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Water Industry Operators Association (WIOA) Professional body for water-industry professionals, supporting training, standards and workforce retention.
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Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) – “Maximum prices set for Greater Sydney water users (2025–26)” showing regulatory pressures on utilities. ipart.nsw.gov.au
Course features
- Combined face-to-face session covering both units in a single half-day (6 hours) format. pipelinetraining.com.au
- Practical, in-field assessment and submission of workplace-evidence reports over up to 3 months. pipelinetraining.com.au
- Ideal for field and operational staff in water infrastructure, networks, distribution and maintenance roles.
- On completion, participants receive a Statement of Attainment for both units.