Reflecting on World Water Day

From designing water treatment plants to developing remediation plans that address abandoned mine drainage, Carleton alumnus Dr. Robbie Venis’ work focuses on something many people take for granted: clean water that flows reliably from the tap.

As a process engineer with global consulting firm AECOM, Robbie (PhD/22) works with municipalities and public utilities across Canada to optimize water infrastructure and systems — helping ensure access to safe drinking water is effective, cost efficient and sustainable.

“We tend to really appreciate having clean water come out of our tap but people don’t often think about how hard it is to get water from ‘over there to over here’ and make it clean,” Robbie shares.

Robbie can trace his career in the water field back to high school, where his interests leaned towards math and science. 

“I felt this imperative to do something useful in the world. I knew I didn’t like blood and had ruled out being a doctor — engineering felt like a good fit towards a path that was purposeful,” Robbie says.  

As an undergraduate engineering student at Queen’s University, he gravitated toward environmental courses and quickly became interested in water-related research. A summer research placement in Pune, India introduced him to water treatment technologies used in lower-resource settings, including ceramic water filters.

A ceramic water filter is a gravity-fed water treatment device, often shaped like a pot. As water slowly passes through the clay, the naturally porous material filters out bacteria and physical contaminants and provides a convenient and eco-friendly way to improve the quality of drinking water at the household level.

“The simplicity and efficacy [of the ceramic water filter] really intrigued me,” Robbie shares.

“As I dug deeper, I realized how complex the technology was for something that was manufactured in such a simple way, and that also creates a lot of opportunity to find ways to make it better.”

Environmental engineering professor, Dr. Onita Basu’s extensive ongoing work in the water and wastewater treatment field led Robbie to enroll at Carleton University as a master’s student before fast-tracking into a PhD in 2017.

While at Carleton, under the supervision of Dr. Basu, Robbie continued to explore low-cost ways to treat biological contaminants and improve access to safe drinking water in economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities. His research took him to Tanzania, where he worked with local partners and manufacturers to design and distribute ceramic water filters. The experience left a lasting impression.

“You see how much people have to think about water every day,” he says.

In the rural community of Longido, access to water — and the responsibility for retrieving and managing it — often fell to women. In partnership with local educators, the project provided women, the primary recipients and users of the ceramic water filters, with information on sanitation and hygiene practices, as well as maintenance, to ensure the devices continue to provide clean water over time. Robbie emphasizes the community-driven approach was critical to empower users during both the initial uptake and longer-term use of the ceramic water filters.

The connection between water and gender served as the theme for World Water Day 2026. Recognized annually on March 22, World Water Day is a United Nations Day of observance, established to bring attention to the global water crisis and to emphasize the importance of, and access to, fresh water and the sustainable management of freshwater resources. 

While moments like World Water Day help raise awareness, water issues persist year-round.

Even in Canada — where access to clean water is often assumed — challenges remain. Infrastructure in need of upgrades, aging workforce, climate pressures and inequities in access, particularly in Indigenous communities, highlight the need for continued attention and investment throughout the country’s water sector.

“There’s a tendency to think we’ve ‘figured it out’ here,” Robbie notes. “But there’s still a lot of work to do.”

These challenges also represent opportunity for new graduates from all disciplines looking to build a career with both impact and purpose.

“The water industry is bigger than pipes and pumps. In addition to engineering, there’s roles in science, operations, policy, project management — the water industry, like every industry, benefits from a diversity of perspectives,” says Robbie.

“At the end of the day, everybody deserves to be in a position where they have the most affordable, highest quality water provided to them. I think that should be the standard and I’m happy to contribute to the system that aims to maintain that standard.”