Page 15 - LandscapeSA Issue 108

FEATURE

THE CHANGING ROlE OF

THE STORmwATER ENGINEER

BY FAREED NAGDI (pRENG, mSC uRBAN ENVIRONmENTAl ENGINEERING), CApE TOwN wATER lOCATION lEAD, zuTARI

The increased focus on sustainability and the impact of
climate change has resulted in increased specialisation
by engineers in what traditionally was the domain of

the stormwater engineer. This means that the qualities
required for a good scientist, data analyst and social
specialist are becoming conflated with those of a
traditional engineer. At the end of the day, there is a wide

array of work now being covered by the so-called ‘urban
water engineer’, and the term stormwater engineer is
less applicable to the role.
Fareed Nagdi, Water Location Lead, Zutari

have always had an interest in the lucky if it had specialist GIS practitioners people’s lives at local community level is
outdoors and the environment, so when within its ranks; now this is an expected a really important goal. Finding practical
I
I began studying engineering, it was a area of expertise in the water resource solutions to all of these complex problems
natural fit for me to gravitate to the water field specifically. This relates to hydro- does not only involve technical know-how,
side, which is very different from the built informatics and data collation within but is a broader socio-political issue as well.
environment side usually associated with a water-use context. Then there is the
what civil engineers do. My thesis focused on analysis, presentation and engagement Hence, the urban water cycle has become a
hydrology and hydraulics, following which I of stakeholders based on what the data bigger and bigger area of concern, especially
was fortunate enough to obtain a bursary reveals, which is a further specialisation in terms of climate change mitigation and
from a respected consulting engineering related to data analytics. The field is growing, resilience. Of course, this could be a direct
company and started working in its water and young engineers are attracted by the reflection of the magnitude of the problems
unit. I was later awarded a scholarship to possibilities the space offers. we face in this regard. A side-effect is that
study in the UK and completed my Masters we increasingly require multi-skilled teams
in Urban Environmental Engineering. Whereas before a company would be of scientists and engineers to tackle these
tasked to physically collect hydrological global level problems. It is no longer solely
I now lead the water unit at the Cape Town data or construct expensive infrastructure, the ambit of the traditional stormwater
office of zutari, which employs a 100-strong these have now been replaced by smart engineer with an interest in green solutions.
team of scientists and specialists, in water-level or rainfall sensors, for example.
addition to the company’s general advisory The issue associated with adopting such Whereas we used to struggle to get
team, town planners, asset managers and technology in an African context is that youngsters to dedicate their careers to
environmental scientists, amongst others. these sensors are often damaged or stolen, stormwater engineering, the bulk of the
This is probably one of the strongest which introduces the need for innovation as graduates we absorb now are interested in
consulting water teams on the continent, to where they are placed and how they are urban sustainability. It has really been turned
due to its long experience working in Africa used. on its head, with something perceived before
and dealing with its unique challenges. as being unsexy now a highly desirable,
Apart from that, the water-quality issues we focused career path. Having said that, we are
The water unit comprises six sub-disciplines, are faced with differ markedly from a First also faced with a lot of young talent feeling
one of these being water resources, within World context – for example, a major issue is they cannot make a sufficient impact in the
which the urban water team sits. The dealing with oils from road transport ending consulting environment and thus leaving to
expertise and experience of the team has up in the water system. In South Africa, many work at NGO type organisations focusing on
been showcased in a broad range of work informal settlements lack basic sanitation sustainability. People these days are much
carried out for various municipalities and and many of our water courses have become more concerned about aligning their career
private clients, covering design, modelling, sewers – a very complex challenge to solve. goals with the challenges facing the planet
data-related collection, interpretation and society rather than corporate goals.
and display, as well as water strategy and In terms of my own career, I have stepped zutari’s urban water team is reinventing
benchmarking studies. back from a more senior management itself to cater for such individuals.
role into the technical space, where I feel
Another trend gaining increasing traction, my team and I have a real opportunity to Information supplied by Ngage Public Relations
in addition to the impact of specialisation, make a tangible difference in tackling issues on behalf of Zutari
is digitalisation. In the past, a consulting related to sustainability and efficient water
engineering company could count itself use. Making a difference to the quality of www.zutari.com

Landscape SA • Issue 108 2021 13