Elsie, Pat and Rohan talk water on Australia's East Coast

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Environment & SustainabilityWaterStormwater and Flood ManagementWater Resource ManagementWater Supply and TreatmentVictoriaNew South WalesQueensland

In Tonkin's Quick Q&A series, our technical experts discuss the opportunities and challenges that are front of mind for industry and our clients.


In this Quick Q & A, Tonkin water engineers Elsie, Pat and Rohan sat down and shared their insights on how challenges within the water industry on Australia's East Coast are being navigated and what we can do as engineers to help keep water flowing for generations to come.

Elsie: I’m with Patrick Tunnah and Rohan Naidu from our East Coast Water Team to discuss some of the current and emerging pressures the industry is facing and how we at Tonkin are playing our role to bring this into focus in the work we do.

I’m interested to hear your perspectives in NSW and QLD, what are the important things we consider in our work in the context of meeting the demands of increasing development and events like the 2032 Olympic Games?

Pat: There’s a big focus right now on extending and upgrading our water networks and infrastructure with two key pressures front of mind; ongoing population growth and development associated with the 2032 Olympics. At the same time, we need to make sure we’re maintaining and enhancing the assets we already have in our established networks. Of course, this comes with challenges. Collaboration is key – water utilities, councils, developers, and engineers like us all need to work together at every stage of the project to keep things moving smoothly and avoid delays. As an example, in one of our current water infrastructure projects, we are essentially catering for a new city that will eventually be home to 40,000 to 50,000 people. We worked closely with water authorities to devise a strategy to be able to connect all new sewerage infrastructure into the small and dated existing infrastructure, while also planning for future upgrades. 
Elsie: And more broadly, what are some of the key challenges as we respond to these types of growth pressures?  Is it the availability of appropriate funding and resources, or the time it takes to plan and deliver? 
Pat: All the above. Right now, one of the biggest challenges in our industry is keeping up with the growing demand for large scale projects while working with limited time, funding, and resources like engineers and construction teams. There is a big strain on the industry because the size and scale of projects are only increasing, which places further demand on us to deliver. 
Elsie: Given these pressures, what do you see is important when we are working with regional utilities and local governments on their infrastructure projects?

Rohan: Working closely with local governments is a big part of what we do at Tonkin. Councils really understand the local needs and what matters most in their communities, and we have seen great success for both the client and us on major infrastructure projects. In terms of size, scale, and quality of work, it’s not all that different. But working with local councils does tend to foster a closer client/consultant relationship. 
Elsie: Thinking about the current and future resourcing challenges you mentioned, what role do you think Tonkin can play in advocating within the industry and how can we encourage people to consider a career in water?
Pat: Tonkin has a great team who have a good understanding of water and wastewater infrastructure, built of the back of the company’s many decades as a leader in the water sector. We understand the risks and challenges throughout design to construction, and we can identify any issues early in the project, minimising challenges at later stages of the project. The water sector offers the chance to make a real difference in communities right across the country. Attracting people into the water industry is something that Tonkin is passionate about, and there are so many rewarding and long-term career opportunities here. Some of our longest serving team members are water engineers – like David Smith who recently celebrated his 40-year anniversary with Tonkin! We ensure that people are the right fit for our culture, and the work that we need to deliver. My main exposure to water engineering at Uni was fluid dynamics, which is very technical, calculation heavy formulas from almost 300 years ago, so there isn’t a modern spin on it, and often it’s hard to market the fact that water can be quite cool and funky, and that there are new technologies being utilised and that it’s an essential service to everyone. There’s a lot of different avenues that engineers can take once they get into work, which I don’t think students really understands while they are at uni. 

Rohan: Water is an essential service, it’s more important than ever that we most efficiently use public funds to deliver maximum value. We need smart people who are detailed focused, while also being able to look at projects and infrastructure holistically. One of the key challenges is helping university students who are studying engineering see just how broad the water industry really is, and that a career in the water has a critical impact on people’s daily lives. I personally feel like the water industry has been marketed poorly to university students. Major structures and bridges get a lot of attention, but water as a discipline is so much more impactful than people realise - from providing safe drinking water to supporting sustainable growth and protecting the environment.  At Tonkin, we mentor our graduates and give them the experience that ensures they have the knowledge to help shape the future of our water networks.
Elsie: I’d love to hear your thoughts about sustainability and our changing climate and how they impact the way we go about our work. What steps do you think we need to take to ensure our work delivers sustainable outcomes?

Pat: It’s often overlooked that water is a resource. It has its own limitations and on course, its finite as well. With climate change, it is getting harder to manage the supply of water to the population. With more frequent droughts occurring, there is less water available as a resource. Plus, on the other end of the scale is managing flood events and dealing with the stormwater side of things. While these are all complex challenges, it’s a good feeling to be part of a sector where people are stiving to make a real difference for communities and our environment. 
Rohan: Whilst the importance of sustainability has gained much more recognition in recent year, it has long been at the core of the water sector, for example through the minimisation of energy input for the transportation of water and wastewater through the use of gravity systems.  Even as energy has become widely and cheaply available, it has been recognised that over the lifespan of water infrastructure it is still the most significant input, so any long-term efficiencies we can achieve through design tend to make significant savings in cost and environmental impacts over the life of the project.