Meet the Team
Interim Committee
Dr Jake O’Brien is Senior Research Fellow and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS). His main field of interest is in wastewater-based epidemiology, but he also has interest in developing analytical methods for chemicals of emerging concern within biological and environmental samples. Doctor O'Brien is a strong advocate for collaborative research, having co-authored with more than 300 collaborators worldwide on over 170 publications. Jake is strongly supportive of early-career researcher development and is the former chair of the EMCR@UQ Committee. He is also a Chief Investigator of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program since its establishment in 2016.
Committee Member
Robyn Doyle is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with more than 18 years’ experience in the onsite wastewater industry. She spent 10 years working with a specialist soil and wastewater consultancy before establishing Doyle Soil Consulting, which she has operated for more than eight years. She is an accredited Building Services Design practitioner for the assessment and design of domestic onsite wastewater systems.
Robyn holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Tasmania, specialising in soil science and land evaluation. Her career has included roles with Forestry Tasmania investigating soil and landform factors affecting forest health, and with DPIPWE as a Plant Pathologist studying soil-borne plant diseases. Her soil science experience has even taken her to northern Greece, where she worked as a field assistant on a soil archaeology project.
An active member of Soil Science Australia, Robyn serves on the Tasmanian Branch Committee and has previously held all executive positions. Since 2016, she has also organised Hobart’s monthly Dirt Drinks—an informal gathering bringing together soil and earth science professionals to exchange ideas, discuss industry issues and continue learning over a beverage.
Away from work, Robyn swims with Hobart Aquatic Masters, enjoys sailing, and is usually accompanied on fieldwork by her Jack Russell, George. She is also partial to a good Tasmanian Pinot Noir.
Vice President
Ben Asquith is Managing Director of Decentralised Water Australia and an Environmental Scientist with 27 years of experience in soil and water science and engineering. The focus of his career has been in the planning, design, operation and evaluation of on-site and decentralised wastewater management systems in both the public and private sectors. Over his career Ben has conducted ongoing inspections of more than 4000 on-site and decentralised wastewater management systems as a regulator, designer, operator, researcher and expert witness.
Ben has developed wastewater treatment, reuse and land application process/concept designs for a range of applications involving domestic, industrial, agricultural and commercial wastewater and stormwater. Ben has also completed many health and environmental risk assessments for water reuse/sewage management systems. He has also developed and implemented operation, monitoring and maintenance plans for a range of water management systems.
Ben is passionate about seizing opportunities to utilise decentralised wastewater management concepts to enable local, efficient and safe water reuse systems in a variety of environments.
Committee Member
President
Ben Kele has over 30 years experience in the water industry and has researched, built and operated a wide range of water treatment facilities. He has extensive experience in on-site & decentralised installations and addressing the concerns of salinity and sodicity in recycled water. He is recognised as a leader in the management, treatment, and beneficial use of wastewater streams that have ‘difficult’ chemistry, organic loads and/or environmental license conditions. He has developed and presented a wide variety of educational courses on water and wastewater treatment. Ben has experience in using a wide range of treatment solutions and can find regulatory compliant solutions for challenging sites. He has also successfully trouble-shooted existing treatment system and enabled them to meet the required performance of both the client and the regulators. He is a board-member of two international water-based charities.
Steve Morton is the Interim Executive Director of the Australian Onsite Wastewater Alliance (AOWA) and Director of h2orizons, a South Australian consultancy focused on water, environmental management, policy, industry development, and capacity building. Steve brings more than 30 years of experience across government, industry, and the water sector, including senior roles in the South Australian Government covering urban water policy, water security, stormwater management, economic development, and international business. His water sector experience includes integrated urban water management, water-sensitive urban design, stormwater harvesting and reuse, water industry regulation, strategic planning, and the development of partnerships between government, industry, and research organisations. He is passionate about building stronger industry collaboration, professional capability and practical partnerships that support sustainable and resilient water and wastewater management in Australia and internationally.
Public Officer
Treasurer
Tim Woods is a licenced Master plumber and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Environmental Health) from Flinders University. He worked for over 15 years as an authorised Environmental Health Officer dealing with grassroots public health issues of failing and non-compliant on-site wastewater systems. His extensive field experience has influenced his approach towards the design of ‘fit for purpose’ long-term sustainable wastewater outcomes with design scalability and multiple management barriers.
Tim has extensive experience in passive, low-energy, low-maintenance wastewater systems and has encouraged the adoption of pressure-dosed passive soil-based platforms within the wastewater community. Now working in his business, Hydroscape, he has designed, installed and project managed many small residential, commercial and cluster residential systems. He remains an active member of Environmental Health Australia and currently chairs the SA Wastewater Special Interest Group.
Seb Deendost is a wastewater engineer and Senior Commercial Sales Engineer with Innoflow Technologies, working across onsite and decentralised wastewater projects throughout Australia and New Zealand. His experience spans wastewater treatment design, project delivery and the development of practical solutions for residential, commercial and community applications.
Seb holds a Master of Environmental Science from the University of Auckland and has worked across subdivisions, campgrounds, public facilities, commercial developments and challenging unsewered sites. He works closely with engineers, councils, developers, installers and regulators to develop solutions that balance treatment performance, environmental outcomes, constructability and whole-of-life cost.
He has particular experience with fixed-film treatment technologies, pressure sewer and liquid-only collection systems, decentralised treatment and land application.
Seb also has a particular passion for the Pacific Islands, sharing industry knowledge and better understanding the wastewater challenges facing small and vulnerable communities, particularly where poorly managed wastewater threatens sensitive marine and coastal environments.
Away from work, Seb enjoys spearfishing for dinner, riding motorcycles, and attempting to teach his Golden Retriever, Simba, to live up to his namesake and actually retrieve a ball..
Secretary