What do Environmental Engineers do?

We need Environmental Engineers to solve the increasingly complex challenges our world is facing - dealing with climate change, water and energy shortages, natural hazards, waste and pollution. However, given that this is a relatively new and emerging area of engineering, it is less well understood than some of the more traditional engineering disciplines (e.g. civil, mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering).

In order to provide some insight into what Environmental Engineers do, where they work, what the most exciting things about their work are and what skills they need to do their work, we have asked ten of our Environmental Engineering graduates here at the University of Adelaide to share some of their professional journey. We hope you enjoy their stories and the diversity of things they have done and places they have worked

Details of the 15 short videos are as follows:

What do Environmental Engineers do: This video presents a collage of the areas in which the 10 graduates have worked, including water supply and sanitation, stormwater harvesting and water sensitive urban design, water recycling and public health, renewable energy, climate change adaptation, environmental management and policy, waste and recycling, the circular economy, geology and soils.

Where do Environmental Engineers work: This video presents a collage of the geographical locations in which the 10 graduates have worked, including various areas around Australia and overseas, in both developed and developing contexts.

What are the best things about being an Environmental Engineer: This video presents a collage of the most interesting / exciting parts of the work the 10 graduates have done, as well as what they like most about their work.

What skills to Environmental Engineers need: This video presents a collage of the skills the 10 graduates have found to be most important during their careers.

Additional comments: This video presents a collage of additional comments from the 10 graduates about environmental engineering.

Anna Bartel (Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure): soils, mine waste, recycled road materials.

Ashley Kingsborough (Department of Environment and Water): water resource and climate policy, climate change adaptation, water sensitive urban design.

Brittany Coff (Jacobs - Consulting): water resources, sanitation, water quality

Hayley Whitington (Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec - Consulting): stormwater harvesting, recycled water, wastewater treatment, groundwater

Jodie Bricout (Loop Circular Economy Platform): waste, recycling, circular economy

Nina Allen (Department for Health and Wellbeing): recycled water, public health

Peter Golding (KPMG - Management Consulting): energy and natural resources

Rowan Steele (SA Water): water supply and operations

Tom Forde (Epic Energy): energy

Victor Cantone (WSP - Consulting): management, water supply, water treatment