Hiding water in pipes and drains has disconnected communities from their most vital resource, according to the 2025 Australian Water Professional of the Year, who argues that re-embedding water in urban landscapes is key to climate resilience, circularity and liveable cities.
Named the 2025 Water Professional of the Year at Ozwater’25 in May, Celeste Morgan was recognised for her visionary leadership in integrated water management, sustainability, and systems thinking, as well as her efforts in leading the charge to reshape how we understand, value and manage our most precious resource.
Beyond circular and climate resilience benefits, Morgan says integrated water management is also integral in terms of changing how water is valued within our urban environments, and how people connect to it.
“We’ve done a great job of hiding water in cities – putting it underground and removing people’s connection to it. I believe a more sustainable water future reconnects communities with water,” Morgan said.
“We should see water in the environment, not just have it disappear into drains. That connection matters. I heard that people can smell rain better than sharks can smell blood in water. We’re built to connect with it.
“But we’re building tiny, paved-over backyards for low maintenance. We’ve lost that connection. We need to bring it back – not just with water but with nature more broadly.
“Even the concept of ‘draining a city’ is perverse. Why are we trying to get rid of something so valuable? Water should be part of our urban landscapes, sparking joy, beauty and curiosity.”
Know of an outstanding water professional that deserves the spotlight? Nominations for state and territory awards are now open.
Morgan said if we map out the sustainability and climate challenges we’re facing, including population growth, water scarcity, flooding and urban heat, water is connected to 90% of those challenges.
“Water is either part of the problem or part of the solution. But we’re often comfortable working in silos. We optimise individual problems. Unless we step out of that comfort zone and speak to people designing roads, new developments, or engaging with communities, we’re not going to come up with meaningful solutions,” she said.
“That’s what integrated water management is about – it’s collaborative. People tend to think of it as a thing, but it’s not. It’s a verb. It’s something we do.”
Integrated Water Management involves thinking about the whole water cycle and how it interacts with place and people, Morgan said: “And that should be the mantra for our entire sector”.
“We need to be braver, to connect with others, and co-create solutions. It’s harder, it takes more time, and the outcomes aren’t always easy to quantify. But it’s the only way to elevate our outcomes,” she said.
“80% of the water that comes into a city leaves it again. That’s a massive opportunity being missed. If we treat water as a resource and reuse it, then we suddenly have an abundance of opportunity. Circularity is a really powerful way of thinking about it.”
In terms of her own perspective on connection and circularity, Morgan said she has learned a lot from Traditional Owners over the last few years.
“The concept of Country – everything being interconnected – is powerful. You heal Country, and that’s not just nature, it includes community, too,” she said.
“In western thinking, we tend to separate the environment from ourselves. But Traditional Knowledge reminds us we’re part of the same system. If we do what’s best for Country, we’re also doing what’s best for people.
“I also find the concept of waterways having personhood really transformative. If we treated a river as a person – an actual stakeholder at the table – how would we act differently?”
Morgan said sustainability, as a concept, is a bit outdated.
“We don’t want to just keep things as they are, we want to regenerate and heal. So thinking of rivers as people, and asking ourselves, ‘Are we really doing the best for them?’ - that’s a good test for our actions.”
While Morgan is now well known within the water community for her work in integrated water management, she’s also a big advocate for women and girls in water and engineering.
"While I have been recognised as the 2025 Water Professional of the Year, it’s important to note that while I once started out in the water sector, I actually felt a bit pushed away by it at the beginning, probably like many young women in engineering,” she said.
“Women made up about 10% of engineering students at university, a percentage that continued into the workplace. There weren’t many senior female role models, and it was quite a male-dominated environment.
"My journey into the water community actually started by leaving it. I was two years into a graduate role and left because I was frustrated with that lack of role models, but also with the expectation that engineers can't shape the agenda.
“We’re just supposed to respond to briefs. I felt like no one was questioning why the brief was what it was. We’d be asked to design a pipe, but had anyone even asked if the pipe needed to be there in the first place?”
Despite this, Morgan said the water sector pulled her back in, this time for her innovative mindset.
"I purposely set out to leave water. I went into sustainability, tackling climate change, and joined a firm that did city master planning. I worked in sustainability and when you’re designing cities and new places to live, water is always such a big opportunity,” she said.
“With my background in water management, I could see how water could really shape a place. I ended up naturally designing water solutions.”
Morgan said she’s happy to be back working in water: “Things have definitely moved on since I started. My team is now 75% female or non-binary, which is completely different from the environment I entered 20 years ago”.
“But I think it’s important we keep thinking about how we welcome young engineers into the sector from all genders and backgrounds.”
Reflecting on now finding herself in the position of being named the 2025 Water Professional of the Year, Morgan said she was floored by the win.
"Maybe that’s imposter syndrome – I always thought those awards were for people who design treatment plants. It was incredibly validating to be recognised for the work I’ve been doing,” she said.
“Integrated water management has always felt like the hipster outsider of the water world. Winning this award felt like a moment of belonging.
“As I said on the night – the award wasn’t just about me. It was for everyone working in integrated water management, pushing for new ways of doing things, fighting to change systems, funding and mindsets.
“It’s been a long road, and this recognition shows we’re making an impact.”
Know of an outstanding water professional that deserves the spotlight? Nominations for state and territory awards are now open.