by GHD
Tom Wheeler's journey into the water industry began somewhere unusual: on a surfboard. After a serious car accident shortly after finishing high school, he spent three months surfing in Sumatra. Along the way, locals kept telling him they loved Australians. Curious, Tom asked why.
"They told me Australian engineers were the first to introduce small-scale desalination systems that provided their communities with clean drinking water," he said. "That was the moment I realised engineering could make a real difference to people's lives."
Inspired, Tom enrolled in an environmental engineering degree within weeks, a decision that would ultimately lead him to an award-winning research project and a career dedicated to shaping better water outcomes for communities both at home and overseas.
Today, Tom leads the water division at AIE, delivering projects that help communities access safe and sustainable water supplies.
During his studies, Tom travelled back to Indonesia as part of a university internship investigating small-scale water treatment systems. Working alongside local communities, he explored how desalination technology could help improve access to safe drinking water in remote areas.
That work became the foundation of Renewable Energy Reverse Osmosis Desalination in a Small Rural Village in Indonesia: Case Study, the project that earned Tom the Western Australian Student Water Prize in 2018. The award, sponsored by GHD for more than 20 years, recognises outstanding student research and has helped launch the careers of emerging water professionals across Western Australia.
Winning the prize proved to be a major turning point, providing recognition for Tom's research and helping propel the project beyond academia. "It opened doors and gave me confidence that the work I was doing could have a meaningful impact," Tom said.
The project didn't end with the research paper. Inspired to turn the findings into real-world outcomes, Tom successfully secured funding through the Australian Government to support the installation of a solar-powered desalination system in Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia. Years later, the system is still providing a local school community with access to safe drinking water, demonstrating how a university research project evolved into a lasting community outcome.
"It took years to deliver, and there were plenty of challenges along the way, but seeing the system operating and helping people made it all worthwhile," he said.
After graduating, Tom took on a role with the Shire of East Pilbara, managing water and wastewater infrastructure across remote Western Australian communities. The experience exposed him to complex operational challenges and reinforced the importance of practical, community-focused solutions. He later joined Aqwest in Bunbury, where he worked on major recycled water initiatives designed to improve long-term water security in the South West.
Today, as Group Manager Water, Renewables and Resource Recovery at AIE, Tom leads projects ranging from major treatment plants for water utilities to essential infrastructure serving regional and remote communities across Australia.
While the projects have changed in scale, the motivation behind his work remains the same: improving health outcomes, strengthening communities and helping future generations thrive. "Every community has different challenges, but access to safe and reliable water is something everyone depends on," he said.
Looking back, Tom credits curiosity, hands-on experience, initiatives like the Student Water Prize, and support from mentors across the industry for helping shape his career.
For students considering a career in water, his advice is simple: stay curious, seek out opportunities and don't underestimate where a single experience can lead, even a conversation with a local community during a surf trip in Sumatra.
"The water industry offers so many opportunities to make a genuine difference," he said. "Whether you're interested in engineering, science, environment, planning or technology, there's a place for you."
Interested in learning more about the Student Water Prize? Find out more here.
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