Tony Gibbon specializes in design and build projects in water supply, wastewater and flood risk reduction. He collaborates with designers across the country, identifying best practices and lessons learned, covering carbon reduction and sustainability as well as buildability and constructability.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I started my engineering career as a trainee draughtsperson for a highway authority while studying civil engineering part-time. It was during that role that I developed an interest in the drainage of highways, which led me to work on flood risk reduction projects for local and national government. These early experiences allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge further to take on the design and delivery of water and wastewater projects.

I realized I like engineering solutions to complex problems, like reducing flood risk or mitigating environmental harm sometimes associated with waste and wastewater treatment. I especially enjoyed projects where I used my skill and knowledge to reduce flood risk while also improving public accesses to the restored environment.  39 years later, I’m still thinking about ways to improve people’s lives and the environment.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

My favourite project with ArchTam has been the Major Utilities Diversions for the extension of Euston Station in London, which was part of the High Speed 2 Rail project — one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe. The project brought together talented engineers from across the United Kingdom and our Enterprise Capabilities team in India to deliver major complex utilities design alongside complex temporary and permanent works for the station.

The innovative and creative way the team addressed the constraints, both physical and programme-related, was my personal highlight.  One example of this was a 1000-milimeter drinking water main that needed diverting in two phases through the same location, several months apart. Due to the strategic nature of the water main only one shutdown of the water main was permitted by the water company.  Through collaboration with the contractor and the water company, and the utilisation of an innovative cross shaped thrust restraint, designed to work in temporary and permanent instances, the main was diverted in one shutdown. The collaborative culture at ArchTam fostered and inspired enhanced teamwork among stakeholders and clients, driving improved outcomes for all parties involved.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

As part of the Major Utilities Diversions for the extension of Euston Station project, the team engaged with stakeholders within the local community to mitigate the impacts of the work, including rescheduling the installation of a new large diameter gas main in a narrow city street to avoid the annual street food festival. This helped sustain the local economy and build further trust with the local community.

Share a piece of career advice.

When chairing or running a meeting, always pay attention to those who are not speaking as they often have a nugget of knowledge or suggestion just waiting to be found. The loudest voice in the room is not the only voice and rarely is it 100 percent of the answer.

We all have a voice and helping people to find that voice and have the encouragement and support to contribute fully is how we find the true value.

Just because I am leading this project, or I am a senior leader, I do not assume I know everything. As engineers we are taught “know what you know, know what you do not know and know to ask.”

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Martin Garcia joined ArchTam five years ago after 34 successful years at Denver Water managing, designing and constructing a wide range of projects. His roles ranged from civil engineer to project manager, focusing on complex piping projects as well as tank, pump station and treatment plant projects. He was involved in the design and construction of a pipeline that connected the suburban enclave of Glendale to the Denver Water system, and he was part of the team that designed the 40-mile water transmission and distribution system from scratch for Denver International Airport (DEN). Following the opening of the airport, he was involved in its water distribution system expansion and upgrades over a 25-year period.  

After overseeing the design work for the Northwater Treatment Plant during his time at Denver Water, he took the opportunity to work at ArchTam and assist with technical support during the construction phase of the project.  

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry. 

From a young age, I was always fascinated with infrastructure — highways, buildings and the layouts of cities. My father worked at Denver Water handling distribution system maintenance, so I was familiar with Denver Water from a young age. He worked there for 30 years, and our careers overlapped for about a year and a half.  When I was in high school, I learned that civil engineers are involved with infrastructure, and so I chose to study that subject in school. Then, I got a job in civil engineering after coming out of college, at a large oil refinery in southeast Texas. When there was a downturn in the oil industry in the mid-1980s, I got laid off. This gave me a chance to come back home to Denver, and to join Denver Water. I have worked in the water industry ever since, and now I also work in wastewater. 

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

All of my projects have been interesting, but the best I would have to say is the Salt Lake City Water Reclamation Facility because of the teamwork that the project required. In addition to half a dozen or more disciplines, there were many different offices involved from the United States and Canada. The process design for the project was done in Winnipeg, and we also had people working from Vancouver, Virginia, Ohio, California, and here in Denver — with each office contributing a different specialization. Winnipeg had a wastewater design center, Virginia handled specialty systems, Vancouver handled odor control, and here in Denver we did the yard piping along with plumbing and other building systems, and the architectural design. 

I was involved with the yard piping, because of my background from Denver Water. Since this was a wastewater plant, it was different for me — but it was still about moving water around. There were several different processes scattered all over the site and a lot of existing infrastructure that we had to navigate to get from point A to point B, and then from point B to point C. We had to move the water from one process to another, and I collaborated with civil engineers to coordinate all those different parts of the process. Each process engineer managed a specific section of the treatment process, and we coordinated with them as to where the pipe needed to connect into their building.  

The teamwork that occurred on the project among the different engineers, the offices across the United States and Canada, and the collaboration with the client made it very memorable for me. And we did it all remotely from our own offices, and from our homes even during the COVID-19 lockdown, using virtual collaboration tools.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

When working on utilities and infrastructure, there’s always going to be an impact on the community. The Salt Lake City Water Reclamation Facility project will allow our client, the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, to continue meeting their discharge requirements and support the rapid growth of the area. The population continues to grow in Salt Lake City, and this project will allow them to meet the rising demand and build capacity resilience for the future with a more reliable and efficient water reclamation facility. For example, there will be less nutrients in the discharge because of the updated processes designed by ArchTam. 

Share a piece of career advice. 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. As a young engineer, you aren’t going to have the benefit of experience. But those who have gone before you will have that to share. As you progress through your career and gain that experience, you can then share it with those coming up behind you.  

When I started, there was a lot I didn’t know, especially about the water industry, so I asked a lot of questions. Now I’m on the other end of the spectrum, helping younger engineers here at ArchTam. I’m glad to help them out when they ask questions. That’s one of the things I like most about what I’m doing now — helping the younger engineers learn. 

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Alicia DuPree has over 19 years of experience in the water industry, with a specialty in long-range master planning. She has held roles on both the client and consultant side, beginning as a water resources engineer at a water engineering and consulting firm before working for seven years with Aurora Water in Colorado. At Aurora Water, she held multiple positions, culminating with a role as lead planner for the water and non-potable system. In 2020, she joined ArchTam at the encouragement of colleagues who described a working environment that offers a work life balance with a great team.  

Today, Alicia is a subject matter expert for water/wastewater master planning projects across ArchTam, serving as project manager or technical lead on multiple large-scale, complicated projects with complex master plans. She is also an active leader and resource in the water/wastewater master planning group in the Technical Practice Network.  

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry. 

During college, I was deciding between the medical and the engineering routes, and a professor pointed out that when you’re a doctor, you can impact one patient at a time, but when you’re an engineer, you impact entire communities — and those impacts can be much larger and longer lasting. That was what made me choose engineering: I wanted to create positive impacts for my community. 

I chose water specifically because it is an absolute necessity, and directly impacts a community’s ability to thrive. It also allowed me to be a silent servant, which was important to me. I want to ensure people have safe, reliable drinking water and can be a part of responsible community decisions that will last for years to come. This is something that I can do to shape communities and help people, even as they may be unaware of the work behind the scenes to make sure they have everything they need.  

The thing that is unique about ArchTam is how they support work-life balance. It is a sweet time in my family life with a young daughter at home, and ArchTam allows me the flexibility to enjoy that and be there for her. It’s rare for someone in my position to work part-time, but here I work 32 hours a week and am still advancing my career and working on amazing projects. It helps me enjoy my job so much more to have time for both my career and family. ArchTam truly supports women and flexible working arrangements, and if you are ambitious and driven, there is plenty of opportunity for you to grow here in a supportive company. 

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

One project that stands out right now is the Salt Lake City (SLC) Big Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant Rebuild Project. It’s different than my other master planning projects as initially we started working on just one project to rebuild their water treatment plant before it turned into a program. 

When we first started working on the project, the client was looking at six different location options for the treatment plant and having a very challenging time deciding the best option based on their complex scoring criteria. Since I have a utility background, I asked if they would be open to letting me provide a suggestion. I worked with them to narrow down their selection criteria to the most critical factors for success, the key items that should be driving the decision. Once we helped them identify those things it gave them clarity to see the best path forward. We are now helping them design their larger strategy as a result, and even ensuring they are capturing their water supply and protecting it from any natural disaster scenarios in the future by helping them design a pump station and creek channel.   

It’s been fun to see the project evolve and be able to support the client through the different evolutions. Part of the reason I love being on this team is the opportunity to provide guidance to the client on critical decisions needed to shape their strategy moving forward.  

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

I would say all my projects positively impact the community because they are helping the community have a strategy for the future, but one project that has been especially great to work on is the City of Lakewood Wastewater Master Plan Update in Colorado.  

Lakewood is facing challenges frequently experienced by many cities in the U.S. West region, where the original wastewater infrastructure was not sized for the type of development and growth occurring today. Originally, the system was built for single family homes, but now the city is evolving to include many mixed-use developments with commercial facilities on lower floors and apartments and condos above. That’s created a much greater water demand and produced additional sewer flows. 

The pipelines now are too small, so as we evaluate and plan for their future system, we are making sure the infrastructure is adequately sized for today, as well as future development and growth. We prioritize the most important improvements, and continually monitor their wastewater system over time to keep pace with the changing landscape of their development.  

The client is very forward thinking, and I’ve enjoyed collaborating with them to identify the problem, analyze it together, and decide on the best options going forward. I’ve been able to better help them develop a strategy to adapt their system to these new types of developments that communities want to see. We’re trying to help them plan ahead so when they make a change, it’s a lasting one.   

Share a piece of career advice. 

Always be willing to try something new. I was able to find what I love to do because I’m always motivated to explore different opportunities outside my comfort zone. Even now, 20 years into my career, I’m constantly trying different things and that has helped me stay engaged and find my focus.  

I also would say don’t be afraid to ask questions. Especially when people are new in their careers, they don’t want to look bad, but then they don’t learn and grow. If you ask your question, someone will help you figure out what you’re missing, and I wish I had learned that earlier in my career.  

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Azaria Bleakley is a chartered civil engineer and project and program manager with over 14 years’ experience on a wide range of projects, including wastewater infrastructure and non-infrastructure, civil engineering, building and refurbishment projects. She has worked in contracting as well as client and consulting sectors. Azaria is currently the program manager for Northern Ireland Water’s Living with Water Program, which is a new and integrated approach to drainage and wastewater infrastructure in Belfast.

What inspired you to join the industry?

From an early age, I was passionate about problem solving and design. An excellent career’s teacher inspired me to pursue engineering. I studied a sandwich degree course in civil engineering which enabled me to work for an engineering consultancy during a placement year. During this time, I worked on a variety of interesting projects that showed me how important engineering is to society, and I was sure I wanted to be a part of that. To this day, I aim to inspire the next generation of engineers to join the industry through my work as an advocate for careers in STEM and with the Institution of Civil Engineers.

 What is your favourite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

My favourite project has been the Placencia Peninsula project in Belize. My team and I designed the peninsula’s first sewerage network and treatment system to support economic development, improve the quality of life of the residents and protect sensitive environmental receptors, including the Placencia Lagoon. There were many exciting technical challenges to the project, including high ground water, sandy soil and topographical restrictions which made the project interesting.  

Using population information which we gathered as part of the project, we produced the design for the sewerage collection network which proved challenging due to the nature of the site including; extremely flat topography, high groundwater table and surge tide, sandy ground conditions and dense housing areas. These conditions limited the depth of excavation which resulted in a significant amount of pumping stations. We provided alternative solutions including trenchless technologies for pipe installation and vacuum pumping systems. All solutions, together with costs and benefits, were presented to the client for decision making.

The project was my favourite as it was interesting and challenging working in a location with different conditions that I had been used to. I also got to collaborate with several experts from whom I was able to learn quite early on in my career.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

I have worked on many projects where community outcomes were the driver for their success and were at the forefront of the design. Through stakeholder engagement, we can make sure community members, including local community representatives and councilors, are actively involved throughout the design process.

On the Hillsborough Forest Project, we engaged with local schools in Down, Northern Ireland and tailored solutions to meet the needs of local school children who now use the space for forest school activities. The overarching goal for the project was to provide a world-class year-round visitor attraction which is visually and ecologically appealing, tying into the local council’s tourism strategy and ongoing community plans. I was the project manager both on the ArchTam side acting as the council’s project manager representative and later as a council project manager.

Through community engagement, we addressed several community needs including a more accessible park with parking and equipment for visitors with disabilities, toilet facilities to allow people to enjoy the forest longer, and educational materials throughout the forest.

Share a piece of career advice.

Be open to new and exciting challenges either from yourself or colleagues, as you may discover a new untapped skill or make new connections. I also believe it is important to have a genuine interest and passion for the industry. At ArchTam, we are working on such wide-ranging exciting projects that have tangible positive impacts in the community, so it is important that we have people who feel as passionate about the projects as we do.

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