People Spotlight: Meet Rob King
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a dam engineer from our Water business in Leeds, providing an insight into their inspiration and work.
Rob has worked in dam engineering for 15 years with eight of those years in Australia, where he has supported the design and construction of new dams and the upgrade of many existing dams. He is currently a supervising engineer under the Reservoirs Act 1975 and Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 and is in the process of applying to become an all-reservoir panel engineer.
What inspired you to join the industry?
After completing a degree in geology and with an increasing focus on climate change when I was at university, I decided to complete a master’s related to water management, as it was apparent at the time that challenges facing water supply were going to be an issue well into the future. Various types of dams were covered as part of the course and I remember my interest being piqued by the fact that all disciplines of engineering play a role in their design and construction. I then focused my career from my early days as an engineering geologist at a site investigation company to becoming a dam engineer. Since, then I have had the opportunity to work on and lead the design and construction of new dams and the upgrade of existing ones whilst lending my hand to all disciplines of engineering which has kept the job both interesting and challenging.
Various types of dams were covered as part of the master’s course and I remember my interest being piqued by the fact that all disciplines of engineering play a role in their design and construction.”
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
My favourite project at AECOM has been the abandonment of Purdomstone Reservoir, which is owned by Scottish Water (SW), particularly as I learned a lot about the complexities of abandoning a reservoir, which doesn’t happen very often. SW is the United Kingdom’s largest dam owner with around 280 reservoirs, however more than 100 of these are no longer used for water supply yet still represent an ongoing concern for the business. This is due to the societal risk they pose, with many of these reservoirs upstream of towns and villages.
I began working on this project in 2020, conducting a study to determine the best course of action for the reservoir—whether to invest in upgrades or abandon it. Since the reservoir was no longer used for water supply, I demonstrated that abandonment was the preferred option due to the societal risk it posed if retained and the ongoing costs to Scottish Water.
I led the detailed design for the abandonment, which included breaching the main and subsidiary dam embankments to restore the original watercourse level, constructing a new access track through the reservoir basin, infilling the by-wash channel, and implementing erosion protection measures. A key benefit of abandonment was enabling fish passage upstream. After consulting SEPA and Scottish Water, I incorporated a bottomless culvert into the access track design to facilitate fish movement.
One major challenge was managing sediment accumulation in the reservoir. Based on our analysis of the sediment depth, I developed a solution to pump water from the reservoir into storage lagoons at higher elevations within the basin. A flocculant was then added to separate the silt from the water, which was subsequently discharged into the by-wash channel.
Throughout 2024, I provided onsite construction support, addressing technical queries during the works. My lasting impression of the project came at its completion, as I marveled at how quickly the reservoir basin reverted to a natural state.
My favourite project at AECOM has been the abandonment of Purdomstone Reservoir, which is owned by Scottish Water (SW), particularly as I learned a lot about the complexities of abandoning a reservoir, which doesn’t happen very often. My lasting impression of the project came at its completion, as I marveled at how quickly the reservoir basin reverted to a natural state.”
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
As a result of working on dams, we regularly benefit the communities we serve. Flood storage, in particular, is often what delivers the most tangible benefits for residents. I have been involved in the design of several flood storage reservoirs (FSRs) at AECOM that have protected the downstream population from flooding. One of the largest of these was Robin Dam situated on the River Garnock in Ayrshire. I was a lead designer responsible for completing the stability and seepage analyses for the dam and also the design of its filter arrangement.
As a result of working on dams, we regularly benefit the communities we serve. Flood storage, in particular, is often what delivers the most tangible benefits for residents.”
Share a piece of career advice.
Take full advantage of any opportunities that present themselves when you work for a large multinational company like AECOM. I took an opportunity to move to Australia and it was the best decision I ever made, based on the project experience I gained, and the people I worked with, which has helped shape my career to date.