Corinna Doolan | Water Quality Manager | Sydney Water
No two days are ever the same! Every day brings new challenges, different decisions and unexpected situations to work through. That keeps my role interesting and rewarding. Even after all these years, I’m still learning something new, which is incredibly motivating.
Role
Water Quality Manager, Sydney Water
What I do
I lead teams across treatment and network operations to ensure safe, reliable drinking water for our 5.4million customers. Starting my career in operations as a scientist within a predominantly engineering environment meant I needed to build strong relationships and show how scientific insight can strengthen operational decision-making.
No two days are ever the same. Every day brings new challenges, different decision and unexpected situations to work through, and that keeps my role both dynamic and rewarding.
Career journey
I began my career at Sydney Water in 1989 as a sampler and laboratory technician. With a background in science, I progressed through scientific, research, customer service and management roles before returning to operations as Water Quality Manager.
What I love about my role
I am incredibly proud of my team, who work incredibly hard every day to ensure our customers receive safe, reliable water and excellent service. The challenges keep coming, but it’s our people who make the real difference, especially in difficult times. I really enjoy supporting new team members and watching the next generation develop, knowing we’re building strong capability for the future of the water industry.
What I’ve learned
There are many pathways into operations and having diverse experience is key to achieving better outcomes for customers and building more resilient, adaptable operations.
Advice to others
Don’t underestimate what you’re capable of. With commitment, drive and a willingness to learn, you can succeed in any pathway—whether as a technical specialist or a people leader. Operations in the water industry is full of opportunity, and it’s there for the taking.
100 Women Nomination
What Ben Blayney, Head of Water Supply & Production, Sydney Water said about Corinna:
Corinna has dedicated 37 years to Sydney Water, beginning her career as a scientist, she is now a key leader and is recognised across the industry for managing water quality.
She has extensive experience in drinking water quality management, incident management and customer response. This has led to world class customer experience and water product management for 5 million customers in Greater Sydney.
Today, Corinna successfully leads teams across treatment and network operations, driving continuous improvement in water quality and customer outcomes.
As the winner of multiple awards and an author of numerous publications, Corinna is a role model for aspiring scientists and future leaders.
Thank you, Corinna, for sharing your story and being part of NAWO’s 100 Women in Operations. Showcasing the breadth of roles, pathways and leadership that exists across the operations industry is at the heart of this campaign—and it’s stories like yours that make it possible.
Do you know a woman with an interesting role or career journey?
You can nominate them to be featured. We’re looking for representation across sites, shifts, functions, industries and career stages.