By the bubbler with Janice Wilson

Janice Wilson is Principal Engineer, Water & Wastewater at Whitsunday Water (Whitsunday Regional Council).

The AWA’s Queensland Branch sat down with Janice to find out more about her.

What drew you into the water industry?

I grew up on a dairy farm with a commercial maple syrup operation in Québec, Canada. When I was a teenager, I helped our family purchase a reverse osmosis system to make the maple syrup production process more efficient. Seeing how you can use your technical skills for helping small businesses or local communities really inspired me and led me to become a water and wastewater engineer.

Who or what do you draw inspiration from?

I read extensively and listen to podcasts when I am driving: How I Work by Amantha Imber, HBR Ideacast and The Quicky. I like to throw some of these ideas around with colleagues and mentors, which I find inspiring.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spare time? What spare time (ha!)? I enjoy spending time with my husband and twin sons, walking my dogs, cooking and baking.

If you were a breed of dog, which would you be and why?

English Cocker Spaniel — we have two, Statler and Waldorf, named after the two old heckling muppets on the Muppet Show.

What do you believe is currently the greatest challenge for your part of the water industry?

I see the skills shortage as one of the greatest challenges for the water industry, specifically in regional and rural areas, followed closely by data management/business intelligence. We have so much data and we haven’t scratched the surface on how best to present that to all of our stakeholders.

How do you consider your organisation benefits most by being a corporate member of the Australian Water Association?

As a small regional council, Whitsunday Regional Council is able to tap into resources and projects in the Australian Water Association to identify how we can keep up to date with new developments in the water industry.

What messages would you like to give to your colleagues in the Queensland water sector?

I am really keen to showcase the work done in regional, rural and remote areas. Reach out if you’d like to connect and let me know how I can help!