“We have a bushwalking spot opposite our house, I’m a 5-minute commute to work and I even have a view of the Flatrock Water Treatment Plant from my house. When Sydney friends come to visit, I always point it out and say that’s what I do for work.”

Keira loved maths and science at school but it was a high school teacher that recommended she study chemical engineering at uni – an option she’d never even heard of at the time. 

When she graduated, Keira was accepted into The University of Sydney for a Degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She remembers hearing about Shoalhaven Water during her studies. She remembers thinking how interesting it would be to do a student placement there and applied as soon as the opportunity arose. 

With 220 Wastewater Pump Stations, 13 Wastewater Treatment Plants and 4 Water Treatment Plants, Shoalhaven Water is a unique and multi-faceted place to grow a career. 

To Keira’s delight she was offered the placement and she soon found she didn’t want to leave: 

“The people were great, the region is beautiful and there were so many interesting things to learn.” Said Keira. 

The experience showed her the many lifestyle benefits of getting out of Sydney but also the depth of career opportunities in regions like Nowra: 

“Shoalhaven Water deals with such a wide range of issues that operationally you can be involved in so much compared to a large organisation like Sydney Water where your scope is very narrow.” Keira noted. 

As part of her Honours Degree, Keira obtained a scholarship for an Industry Project with Rous County Council in Lismore. Its focus was on controlling pH levels in drinking water but also took place around the time of the catastrophic Lismore floods, which was a significant learning experience. 

When the project was complete and she was looking for a permanent role, Keira knew she wanted to return to Shoalhaven Water. 

Over the last 3.5 years Keira has worked her way up through the ranks from Process Engineer to Wastewater Operations Manager. In that time the South Coast has more than its own fair share of floods – with 15 declared natural disasters in recent years. 

“Each event impacts the ground and our system and needs to be carefully managed,” said Keira. 

“There are over 220 pump stations to oversee that could lose power or get inundated, so I monitor those remotely.” She added. 

Keira and her partner have now bought a house in West Nowra and love being so close to everything: 

“We have a bushwalking spot opposite our house, I’m a 5-minute commute to work and I even have a view of the Flatrock Water Treatment Plant from my house.” 

“When Sydney friends come to visit, I always point it out and say that’s what I do for work,” Keira laughed. 

Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Water