People Spotlight: Meet Sally Homoncik
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a river restoration specialist from Scotland and providing an insight into their inspiration and work.
Sally Homoncik is passionate about the natural environment and helping communities that depend on it. Since her early career days, she has gained valuable experiences and discovered her strengths and the types of work opportunities that energize and excite her. She finds great satisfaction in seeing river systems returned to being healthier, naturally functioning and self-sustaining. Alongside this, she finds working for the benefit of local communities incredibly rewarding.
What inspired you to join the industry?
I studied geology as an undergraduate, which I found incredibly inspiring and exciting, and was very keen to work in a sector where I could do something practical for the benefit of the natural environment. I worked with British Geological Survey as part of my master’s by research degree in hydrogeology and then joined a small consultancy working on flood risk, and river and catchment restoration projects. I gained practical experience in implementing natural flood management (NFM) measures and was part of the team leading a workshop for members of the European Working Group on NFM. I found my way to river restoration when some key projects landed on my desk as a new project manager. I used my previous knowledge and experiences to inform my approach to leading these projects.
Over time, I gained more confidence and built relationships internally within AECOM and externally with local authorities and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) teams. I enjoyed working with others to persevere through the challenges to see these projects through to construction and found immense satisfaction in the end result. I love working collaboratively and bring my enthusiasm for people and projects to my role.
I worked with British Geological Survey as part of my master’s by research degree in hydrogeology and then joined a small consultancy working on flood risk, and river and catchment restoration projects. I found my way to river restoration when some key projects landed on my desk as a new project manager.
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
I am incredibly proud of the Levern Water restoration project in Barrhead, Scotland, which our team developed from feasibility through design stages to construction, and where we were heavily involved with site supervision and project management. I was the design project manager and technical lead for the project, working extensively with the client, SEPA and the AECOM multidisciplinary team.
The project was located at a brownfield site, next to the town centre and a play park, which felt unsafe due to the site being overgrown and dark with no natural surveillance, with piles of garbage and broken glass. The project involved the realignment of the river, the creation of a lower and wider floodplain area, the removal of two weirs that were barriers to fish passage and extensive landscaping.
We worked through many design challenges including contaminated land, underground utilities, invasive non-native species and large volumes of waste materials. Following ground investigation and an assessment of the waste classification of material to be excavated, it was established that the design would generate an excessive volume of contaminated waste, resulting in a high financial and carbon cost. Our team responded quickly and redesigned the scheme to reduce the volume of excavated material and reuse all material within the site boundary. The constructed scheme resulted in only minimal removal of material due to elevated contamination levels, with the majority of material retained on site. This benefitted the project by significantly reducing costs and minimising the carbon cost. By using a capping layer, agreed with the local authority and Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the existing material could be reused and made safer for public health by breaking the connection to contaminated ground that had existed for many years. The result is a well-loved, open and beautiful greenspace where people can enjoy nature in a safe environment and where biodiversity has been enhanced.
I am incredibly proud of the Levern Water restoration project in Barrhead, Scotland, which our team developed from feasibility through design stages to construction, and where we were heavily involved with site supervision and project management. The result is a well-loved, open and beautiful greenspace where people can enjoy nature in a safe environment and where biodiversity has been enhanced.
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
The Levern Water restoration project has delivered numerous, lasting positive impacts. The park has become a safe haven for the local community with open views, safe access to the river, and new greenspace full of wildflowers, and with paths and benches. In 2024, spawning salmon were surveyed in the Levern Water within the project site for the first time in over 100 years. The floodplain is more regularly inundated and during floods in winter 2023-2024, the wider floodplain contained flows and prevented damage to the site.
Carlibar Primary School is located adjacent to the river at the project site, and they have been very involved in the project, visiting numerous times during construction to see progress and learn about the project. Once the site was opened, students began doing invertebrate surveys and have taken part in ‘Clyde in the Classroom’ — a project run by Clyde River Foundation that involves looking after a brown trout hatchery in the classroom for two months, then releasing the fry to the river.
We have had positive feedback from the local community. Here’s what a local family had to share:
“Carlibar Park has always been a really central pathway to Barrhead ever since we moved here, however I used to frequently avoid it for fear of my wee ones stepping on broken glass or worse due to the antisocial behaviour in the area. I’d find myself taking long detours to avoid a journey full of “don’t touch that” and “don’t step on that”. I’m so glad there is now a local outdoor space for my girls to play and explore safely. The new wildlife in the area is great as well – my eldest loves bird spotting and we’re excited to see if we can spot any fish once they’re released. The walk home from the library is no longer rushed but something we plan extra time into our day so we can enjoy it. It’s become Barrhead’s hidden gem.”
The Levern Water restoration project has delivered numerous, lasting positive impacts. The park has become a safe haven for the local community with open views, safe access to the river, and new greenspace full of wildflowers, and with paths and benches.
Share a piece of career advice.
Value every experience early in your career, even if you yourself doing tasks that you don’t enjoy, nothing is wasted. Use all your experience to find your way to the type of work or specialism that you enjoy most. Learn all you can and seek opportunities to improve your skills wherever possible. Speak up and ask about being involved in a variety of projects and seek feedback on your work and progress.