People Spotlight: Meet Youvrani Thimmegowda
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a principal engineer from our Water business in Ireland.
Youvrani Thimmegowda is an environmental engineer with extensive experience working in the United Kingdom and Ireland water sector. She is currently the team lead for our Southern Region Modelling Team working for our client Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water).
Youvrani is focused on implementing effective review and verification processes to ensure compliance with project specifications, industry standards and client requirements. She is also responsible for management and delivery of projects, as well as engaging with stakeholders like EPA, local authorities and other engineering consultants to understand their perspectives, interests and concerns.
What inspired you to join the industry?
My passion for water and the environment developed during my childhood. My father, who worked as a chief officer in our municipal office, often took me to water treatment plants, exposing me to processes that captivated my imagination. My desire and commitment to help build a better world for the community led me to pursue a career as an environmental engineer. I firmly believe in Aristotle’s quote, “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work” and I am committed to applying this principle in my career.
My journey with AECOM continues to evolve as I progress from senior engineer to principal engineer within the Water team. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with a forward-thinking client, a highly supportive manager and a talented team on a range of water infrastructure projects. With each project, I further develop my leadership and technical skills while driving innovative solutions to complex challenges. The collaborative environment has fostered strong relationships, allowing me to contribute meaningfully to the team’s success and growth. I look forward to continuing this rewarding experience and shaping sustainable outcomes in the water sector.
My desire and commitment to help build a better world for the community led me to pursue a career as an environmental engineer. I firmly believe in Aristotle’s quote, “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work” and I am committed to applying this principle in my career.”
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
We are supporting Uisce Éireann (UÉ) with the planning of their water and wastewater capital projects and programmes as part of their Capital Investment Plan and the Growth and Development programme. I am currently leading Storm Water Overflow (SWO) programme, which is one of the key UÉ programmes.
Our team is developing solutions to improve drainage system and water quality by reducing the spill to water bodies. There are various options our team has developed like sustainable urban drainage systems that use permeable surfaces, green roofs, and soakaways to manage rainwater where it falls, reduce runoff, and prevent overloading drainage networks; surface water separation from combined sewer systems to reduce overflow during heavy rainfall, preventing sewer flooding and spills; upgrades to increase the capacity of existing sewer systems or introduce separate stormwater sewers to reduce spills to water bodies.
My team identifies the right options to mitigate flooding and pollution through detailed site assessments, modelling and stakeholder consultations. We analyse local conditions, environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness to select tailored solutions that optimize drainage performance, prevent pollution and protect communities.
This is my favourite project because it has allowed me to collaborate with a diverse team. I am leading a large team with varied backgrounds and expertise, based in Ireland, UK and India. They bring multiple perspectives to the table, which helps to identify complex environmental challenges and develop innovative solutions. This project has provided me an opportunity to work collaboratively with both the client, various stakeholders and a diverse team to deliver high quality modelling solutions that enhance flood management and improve water quality.
This is my favourite project because it has allowed me to collaborate with a diverse team. I am leading a large team with varied backgrounds and expertise, based in Ireland, UK and India. They bring multiple perspectives to the table, which helps to identify complex environmental challenges and develop innovative solutions.”
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
My work on the SWO programme has significantly impacted the community by improving water quality and building resilience against flooding. To resolve the overflow issues, it is important to accurately determine the spills via monitoring and surveying of all existing overflows. Under this programme, I am involved in prioritising the installation of monitors, reviewing telemetry and survey data quality. The real-time data is imperative to accurately predict overflows and enable proactive measures to prevent spills.
We deliver solutions to ensure that sewer systems are better equipped to manage heavy rainfall and prevent overflows, which in turn protects water bodies from pollution.”
My focus on data quality ensures that the solutions we develop are based on reliable information, leading to more effective and efficient infrastructure improvements. We deliver solutions to ensure that sewer systems are better equipped to manage heavy rainfall and prevent overflows, which in turn protects water bodies from pollution.
Share a piece of career advice.
My advice would be to find a good mentor, as this is important for personal and professional growth. They can help you set goals, build confidence and develop new skills. A mentor also offers a broader perspective on your industry and helps expand your professional network. Additionally, their feedback and encouragement can accelerate your learning curve and help you avoid common pitfalls. A good mentor-mentee relationship can be a game-changer in achieving your career goals.
