A NEWTOWNARDS woman is playing a key role in ensuring the safety of Northern Ireland’s reservoirs.
Naimh McElroy has become the first woman in Ireland to be appointed to a supervising engineers joint panel, looking after the safety of larger raised water reservoirs.
A chartered civil engineer, Naimh has been working with NI Water since joining the team as a reservoir safety engineer in 2021. Her experience in working in reservoir safety meant she was a perfect candidate for the role, a position which is held by only three other people.
Naimh’s appointment is a change of direction for NI Water which previously contracted out the supervision of reservoirs to third parties. Her recent qualification means that this can now be carried out ‘in-house’.
The Newtownards woman also sees this as a prime opportunity for NI Water to grow and seek new talent.
“Up until now the supervising engineer role was carried out by external consultants,” said Naimh. “Now that I’ve achieved this formal qualification status, NI Water can start to transition the work in-house.
“This will help us meet new legislation regulating reservoirs capable of holding 10,000 cubic meters or more of water above the natural level of surrounding land.
“Myself and, the new NI Water internal team, will inspect NI Water’s reservoirs twice a year and report back on their status to NI Water and the Department for Infrastructure.
“We already have a team of 12 in post and we are hoping to recruit for two new positions soon,” she added.
Niamh is now encouraging other women to get involved in the industry, providing sound advice for those who wish to follow in her footsteps.
She has endorsed the local water company’s apprenticeship programme as an ideal way to ‘learn while you earn’.
Said Naimh: “NI Water is a great place to work and I’ve always enjoyed working here. There’s a good work life balance. It’s the combination of working outside but also a desk job and it’s always challenging.
“My advice to anyone considering a career as a supervising engineer is to consider the apprenticeships NI Water has to offer.
“An apprenticeship is a much more financially viable option that allows you to earn while you learn whilst also making the most of employee benefits such as paid annual leave, all while gaining accredited qualifications.
“That’s the route I’d take if I was starting out again,” added the Newtownards engineer.
