New Water Policy & Practice Journal • Volume 4 , Number 1 • Fall 2017
Risk-Based Pesticide Monitoring in Drinking Water Catchments in Western Australia
Introducing Emma Plant :
Dr . Emma Plant — Technical Advisor — Source Protection , Water Corporation , and Masters of Integrated Water Management candidate .
Emma is originally from Adelaide , South Australia ( SA ). She attended the University of Adelaide to study science and in 2009 she received first class honours in chemistry for her research in characterizing the aromatic structures of biochar . Due to her interest in water science , Emma went on to complete her PhD in 2014 in wastewater research at the University of Adelaide , with support from supervisors also at the University of South Australia and the University of Western Australia . Her PhD involved studying the capabilities of three different analytical methods to characterize organic matter from wastewater treatment plants . Emma was fortunate to have received scholarships from the Playford Memorial Trust and Water Research Australia , which enabled her to present her research at national and international conferences , including the Australian Water Association ’ s ( AWA ) OzWater conference in Sydney ( 2012 ) and Perth ( 2013 ), and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conference in Nashville , Tennessee ( 2013 ). Additionally , Emma was short-listed for the 2013 AWA South Australian Postgraduate of the Year and received a Dean ’ s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence in 2014 for the high standard of her PhD thesis .
While undertaking her PhD , Emma became active in the Australian water industry and remained an AWA Young Water Professional ( YWP ) committee member in SA for just over two years , supporting the professional development of young professionals in the SA water industry .
Following the completion of her PhD , and after a few months working for a small business establishing recycled water schemes , in 2014 Emma moved to Perth , Western Australia ( WA ) to begin a permanent position with the Water Corporation , the largest water service provider in WA . Here , Emma remains involved in drinking water source protection supporting the management of 140 drinking water sources across the state . This involves providing technical advice for the management of water quality risks , and as a relationship manager with drinking water regulators . One large project she has been leading is into pesticide risk , which she presented at the AWA ’ s OzWater Conference in Sydney in 2017 , and is included below . During her time at the Water Corporation , Emma has also
43 doi : 10.18278 / nwpp . 4.1.4