Getting to know Torill Bigg, Asset Management Consultant

Meet the people behind our success as we unveil the stories, passions, and expertise of our dedicated team. Discover how their experience enables us to become a trusted environmental services partner for clients across the UK. This time, let's get to know Torill Bigg, Asset Management Consultant at Aqua Consultants.

What was your background before joining Aqua Consultants?

I began my career in 1996 having completed a 2.1 BSc (Hons) degree in biological and biochemical sciences with an additional university certificate in technological physics. My first job was in the laboratory of an industrial carbon regeneration plant. I was quickly promoted to quality supervision, overseeing plants for both Anglian Water and Severn Trent Water. I was responsible for quality control, process research and process optimisation.

I followed this with a PhD in process engineering, designing a reactor to remediate industrial effluents. I returned to the water industry as an innovation technologist, optimising emerging technology for implementation in water supply and wastewater treatment. I was active in benefits realisation through the supply chain, actively collaborated for risk and value for capital delivery, and responsible for selection and roll-out of the novel process engineering modular nitrate treatment assets. I earned the Water Award from the IChemE for this work and became a chartered engineer the same year.

From there, I completed the PR09 wastewater investment business plan for AMP5, building on my process expertise for phosphorus and nitrate removal and submitting successful investment proposals for infrastructure, including first-time rural sewers.

I obtained a postgraduate university certificate in management and became a qualified lean practitioner, then throughout AMP6 I was delivering performance and risk management for operations. This is where I started to implement machine learning to optimise asset performance and resource allocation utilising telemetry data.

After 20 years of experience in the water industry, I joined a startup consultancy to deliver sustainability, biodiversity, and carbon reduction solutions to a broad range of industries globally. It was exciting and challenging work which truly developed my personal and professional growth. I was drumming up business, creating and selling an added-value service, and built a fabulous team of scientists and engineers delivering those services worldwide. When I left, our team of 2 had become a fully functioning business of 20 professionals – and I needed a new challenge.

What do you do at Aqua Consultants?

I have joined as an Asset Management Consultant; I am putting to good use 29 years of combined water industry and consultancy experience.

What excites you about coming to work?

I enjoy applying my knowledge and expertise for problem solving as well as supporting water industry clients with three decades of knowledge. I enjoy collaborating with diverse colleagues and clients, learning new aspects of the industry and meeting challenges. It is exciting that Aqua Consultants is growing and collaborating with other companies in the Group.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am raising a formidable son. I enjoy reading biographies and history, content creation, creative writing, and being by the sea.

What are you looking forward to over the next 12 months?

AMP8. I hear a lot of voices from the water industry about the challenges AMP8 will bring. This is my fifth AMP, so I am looking forward to bringing innovation, creativity, and sound asset management and engineering to address those challenges.

What is the biggest challenge you see in the environmental sector in the next 10 years?

It's easy to say climate change or biodiversity but really it is all of the interconnected elements of sustainability and making them work commercially.

Businesses are walking away from their environmental promises as they are failing to realise sufficient return on investment. Yet I have delivered some real success stories with industrial clients, including award-winning changes in embodied carbon for commercial products, which are then financially successful.

Supporting clients to implement authentic sustainable change that maintains and improves their commercial sustainability while harnessing the multifaceted elements of environmental sustainability needs to be the focus. I believe data, connectivity, digitalisation, and technology will be the key.