In the lead up to International Women in Engineering Day, Tetra Tech Senior Civil Engineer Darcie Coombs discusses her proudest career moments, future goals, and offers advice to women considering a career in engineering.
What is your role at Tetra Tech?
I’m a Senior Civil Engineer working as Senior Design Lead on the United Utilities Better Rivers Strategic Solutions Team for Tetra Tech
The ‘Better Rivers’ programme aims to reduce the spills across all United Utilities’ footprint to positively impact the environment. It involves looking at the individual spill sites and how we can use opportunities in the existing network to provide capacity in the wider system. We are working to achieve this through introducing blue green, hybrid or grey solutions across the region.
It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of the UK water industry in AMP 8, as this £96billion investment is the largest ever made in the water industry across Europe.
How did you get into engineering?
I grew up with a supportive mum who encouraged me to pursue my ambitions. Also going to an all-girls school meant there were less barriers in my mind in respect of careers I could and couldn’t do.
I considered creative or mathematics-based careers but went down the mechanical engineering route at university. However, a last minute direction change, inspired by a book I read about engineering, inspired me to explore the civil engineering route.
Throughout my civil engineering degree, I studied lots of interesting topics and completed several industrial summer placements. However, I instantly fell in love with my Water and Health module, where we studied the history of water, water borne disease, and the trade-offs of hydroelectric power and associated inequalities. This led me to apply for water roles towards the end of my university journey and I joined a graduate programme in 2018 and worked on a variety of AMP 6 projects.
What is your proudest achievement in engineering so far?
I’ve had the privilege of contributing to several impactful projects. One notable achievement is my involvement in United Utilities Better Rivers project, which focuses on reducing spill frequency for significant environmental benefits.
Prior to this, I worked on a large-scale project in response to the Water Resource Management Plan 2019, that identified water supply demand deficits in Hampshire. I was fortunate to work in an incredible team and contribute to creating a new source of water to protect the country’s rare and sensitive chalk streams.
My work focused on transporting purified recycled water from the planned Water Recycling Plant to the reservoir, enabling up to 90Ml/d of water from the reservoir to be transported 40km across Hampshire to the existing Water Supply Works, where it would be treated to strict drinking water standards before being sent into supply.
I was empowered by my senior project technical lead, to lead on the development of the multi-million-pound ground investigation works. In this role, I found my strengths as a strategic ‘big picture’ thinker who considers how all elements can fit together, finding opportunities to streamline processes and foster collaborative working.
The experience of learning what I’m more suited to be was quite a proud achievement.
What are your future goals and aspirations at Tetra Tech?
Technically, I’m looking forward to working on the United Utilities ‘Better Rivers’ programme for the foreseeable future to successfully design these crucial works. I’m also hoping to achieve my Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) chartership and be promoted to principal by the end of this year, fingers crossed!
Long term, I’m quite ambitious, so I’d like to progress to a position in senior leadership where I can help strategise and influence change.
What advice do you have for women considering a career in engineering?
I think just to be your authentic self and don’t try to ‘fit the mould’. There are many engineering stereotypes, but I think, thankfully, to all the people that have paved the way before, invisible barriers are slowly being broken down. Don’t think that you must change yourself to get further ahead. It’s people’s individuality that will bring diversity of thought, so that we can better develop inclusive designs, and make the civil engineering industry an innovation powerhouse.
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