Women in Engineering Day: Meet our Dam Safety team
21 June 2024
Set against valleys, mountains and foothills, Wales’ reservoirs form part of the country’s most breathtaking landscapes. But these sometimes-hidden oases also play a vital role in our daily lives.
Welsh Water have 140 reservoirs that fall under the Reservoirs Act (1975), these vary in size from two acres to over a thousand acres. Each serves a purpose, from providing a water supply to the communities across Wales, they provide flood protection during heavy storms, and some provide a source of hydroelectric power. We also have some reservoirs that are used for health, wellbeing and recreational purposes, helping reconnect with water and the environment.
Between 2020 and 2025, we’re investing over £140 million to ensure our dams and reservoirs are safe, kept in good working order and adhere to the high standards that our regulators set. Our commitment to these extraordinary sites reflects our promise to reinvest profits directly for the benefit of our customers and the communities that we serve. This improves maintaining and improving existing structures like Llyn Celyn – the largest reservoir in North Wales – and Craig Goch, one of six dams in the Elan Valley.
For this year’s Women in Engineering Day, we’re shining a light on the women who work in our Dam Safety Team, helping ensure that dams and their structures remain safe to protect customers, the water and the environment for years to come.
Gemma Roberts, Assistant Engineer covering all of North Wales
I always enjoyed STEM subjects in school and wanted a career where I could make a difference. I remember when I was younger looking at construction schemes and thinking, ‘I want to build big things’, so I studied Civil Engineering at university. I know firsthand that there are still people out there that don’t see engineering as a job for women (an old school teacher told me I’d be ‘lucky to study engineering being a girl’!).
Engineering is such a huge subject with continuous technological advances, there is always something new to learn and great job opportunities. People don’t always know enough about what engineers do, so they don’t consider it as a career.
I’m fortunate that my role doesn’t really have a ‘typical’ day. My primary focus is ensuring we meet mandatory safety works in accordance with the Reservoirs Act 1975. I’m responsible for managing, planning and tracking cost effective engineering solutions across North Wales, supervising works and ensuring the timely delivery of measures in the interest of safety. My job is extremely varied; from inspecting inside dams, to witnessing multi-million-pound construction schemes - no two days are the same.
More recently, I have been involved in several dam discontinuance schemes, removing our dam structures and returning the sites to nature. I also assist with the day-to-day operations, which includes attending 6 monthly and 10 yearly inspections, updating emergency plans, applying for consents, and liaising with consultants.
Getting to travel through spectacular scenery to our dam sites is definitely a highlight; on a sunny day in Snowdonia I don’t feel like I’m in work. I get to experience things that most people don’t even know exist, such as walking through tunnels deep under the reservoirs or operating control panels within our dams. I love knowing the work I do will be around for hundreds of years to improve the world for future generations and ultimately keep them safe.
Aimee Middleton, Dam Safety Team Administrator, covering across South Wales
I have a degree in geography, so naturally I’m interested in dams and how they work – also being able to see the beautiful sites all over Wales also has its perks!
From invoicing to booking meetings and events, I assist wherever needed to keep the team running smoothly.
We need more women in the field to inspire the next generation. It can be quite daunting coming into a male dominated environment, but seeing other females within the department is encouraging and inspires us to grow too.
I would say the most challenging aspect of my role is ensuring all our suppliers are paid on time, as well as them charging us correctly. With such large sums being paid out to get works done, it is important the invoicing is all done correctly.
I’ve almost been in the department for a year now, I would say the highlight for me is being able to get out and see the beauty of our assets as well as being encouraged and supported by the team to do so.
Ruella Mantile-James, Network 75 Student, based in South Wales
I have always had a keen interest in engineering, especially when it comes to structures and infrastructures. This fascination started when I was younger and would visit dams, so when the opportunity to join the Dam Safety team appeared I immediately took up the offer.
No two days are the same in my role. As an apprentice, I have two days a week to attend university and three days with the dam safety team. During those three days I am either in the office doing a project or at one of the sites.
I would recommend engineering roles to other women because having a diverse team can lead a broad range of experiences, perspectives, and innovative ways to solve complex problems.
Jo Cullen, Strategy Manager, based in North Wales
Before joining the world of dam safety, I’d been working in water resources for 10 years and although I really enjoyed it, I was keen to build on my previous experience in flood hydrology and climate change adaptation. My line manager supported me doing a two-year secondment with the Environment Agency working two days a week on the UK Flood Hydrology Improvements Programme.
This was a brilliant opportunity and I’d thoroughly recommend anyone doing an external secondment. I then wanted to bring this learning back into Welsh Water and was lucky the Dam Safety Strategy Manager role came up at the perfect time. The dam safety team seemed a friendly bunch and I thought it was an area of the business where I could make a difference, especially with the magnitude and frequency of extreme events set to increase in the future.
As strategy manager I’m basically the ‘eyes and ears’ for the team and need to keep abreast of any future changes in guidance, legislation and scientific research which may affect our operations and compliance risk in the future.
To get the best solutions, we need to think outside of the box and have as many different ideas as possible. To do this, we need a diverse team with a range of different experiences and backgrounds to draw on. I enjoy science, but for me, the practical application of science is the most rewarding.
As a team, we deliver multi-million-pound schemes to keep our dams safe and secure our customers’ water supplies, but we must do this by minimising cost and our impact on the environment. It’s real problem solving and great to see these schemes come to fruition.
Having recently moved teams it’s been a steep learning curve and I’ve had to keep the imposter syndrome at bay and remember that my previous experience in still relevant, I’m just using it in a different sphere. Due to the nature of the role I’ve had to liaise with dam safety experts across the UK even though I’m new to the field. I’m lucky to have such a great team around me as everyone has been supportive and patient even when I’ve asked the same question for the third time!
Jenna Nicolle Gaughan, Client Manager, working across South Wales
I’m yet to visit a Welsh Water dam that hasn’t been inspirational – it’s amazing to work with such incredible infrastructure. They also make for pretty cool Instagram photos!
One of the best things about my job is that there’s no ‘typical day’. My work varies from meeting with the Welsh Government to try and influence new reservoir safety legislation, to writing industry papers, overseeing risk assessments for reservoir safety, to being on site and seeing firsthand how complex some of our engineering solutions are. If I had to say what the most typical part of my role is, I’d have to say safety – it underpins every decision we make.
There are so many reasons why we need more women in engineering but to put it simply, we need to be able to inspire the next generation of female engineers. Despite girls outperforming boys in STEM subjects at both GCSE and A-Level, in the UK only 12% of engineers are female. Seeing really is believing.
The most challenging part of my role is deciding how and where we are going to prioritise capital investment. With a limited budget, we have to take a risk-based approach to how we spend our money to make sure it represents real value for money for Welsh Water and our customers. Many of our dams are over 100 years old and it’s challenging – and exciting – to ensure they meet modern safety standards.
The best moments in my role are when I’m able to go inside the dams and see the bits that are hidden from most people. It’s also a real privilege to see the result of complex, multi-year capital projects, knowing how much care has been taken to protect and enhance our environment.