GMW senior electrical engineer Ashwin Kaware.
“As engineers, we were going to be in a position to change the world – not just study it.”
It’s a quote by American engineer Henry Petroski and something by which Goulburn-Murray Water’s (GMW) Ashwin Kaware lives by.
Wednesday, September 15, is Engineers Day, and this year’s theme is Engineering for a Healthy Planet.
“I firmly believe that engineering is a foundation for a healthy planet,” Ashwin said.
“We are an integral part of this planet and the environment has to be the prime priority for any engineer.”
The senior electrical engineer, who lives in Shepparton, said he had been fortunate to be part of various environmental water management projects with GMW, including restoring floodplains and building fishways.
“I am involved in designing automated pump stations creating a natural flood to restore floodplains, protecting native trees, animals and plants that rely on them,” he said.
“Furthermore, the construction of automated fishways along the creeks will assist the recovery of the native fish population.
“For me, working on GMW projects, environmental impact has always been a prime consideration in engineering design, especially for environmentally and culturally sensitive areas.
“The goal is to have a minimal impact onto the natural vegetation and habitat to accomplish construction using sustainable practices like adopting clean energy, preventing pollution and reducing waste.”
Ashwin graduated from Pune University in 2013 and further achieved Masters in Engineering in 2016, specialising in renewable energy, at Deakin University, which led to an outstanding contribution award and an internship with the CSIRO.
Since joining GMW in 2017 as a graduate engineer, Ashwin has been involved with the Dartmouth Dam SCADA and Telemetry Upgrade Project.
Dartmouth Dam is the largest dam in Victoria and the highest structure of its kind in Australia. It holds water for irrigation and stock and domestic use in Victoria and NSW.
“The Dartmouth Dam Telemetry project will optimise water storage management by improving monitory data recording at more regular intervals,” Ashwin said.
“The upgrade will mitigate business risks associated with control hardware obsolescence and provide a reliable SCADA platform to ensure major stakeholders can continue receiving critical storage data.
“At the preliminary stage of the project, I am leading the process of understanding stakeholder's operational and business requirements for Dartmouth Dam.
“The process also includes benchmarking current solutions against other leading dams industry organisations throughout Australia (i.e. asset owners or operators) to establish industry best practices for SCADA platform and implementation.
“I am also assisting consultants to conduct a multi-criteria assessment in proposing a robust and reliable telemetry system best suited for one of the unique assets in Australia.”
Most of Ashwin’s time with GMW is invested in researching and developing engineering solutions to dams, modernised irrigation and pumped electrical assets.
“I also manage internal and external resources in developing and delivering a wide range of electrical and related complex engineering projects,” he said.
“I am grateful to be a part of GMW as everyone has always made me feel inclusive, making me feel more like family and grooming me to become a professional.”
He encouraged people who “enjoy challenges at every step, have a can-do attitude, are innovative, and love building things” to consider a career in engineering."
An engineer holds the lion’s share in promoting sustainable development, mitigating poverty, maintaining and re-building infrastructure and responding in emergencies,” he said.
“Engineering transforms how you look at things and offers a versatile skillset that can be applied in almost every field.”