Shaping tomorrow’s water future
Shaping Tomorrow’s Water Future
Across Aotearoa New Zealand, the way we manage water and the environment is evolving. PDP’s Azam Khan and Steve Pearce share how collaboration, innovation, and purpose are shaping enduring solutions for people and place.
Leading with experience and purpose
The management of water, wastewater and infrastructure across Aotearoa is changing, driven by environmental pressures, community expectations and the need for long-term resilience. At the forefront are Steve Pearce, Group Director of Water Infrastructure, and Azam Khan, Technical Director and Executive Director, at Pattle Delamore Partners (PDP). Together they bring deep technical expertise and a shared commitment to practical, evidence-based solutions that deliver enduring value.
With more than 300 specialists across Aotearoa, PDP brings national reach and local understanding to every project. Steve and Azam have led work across the three waters, industrial water systems, and infrastructure planning. Both see PDP’s strength not just in its technical capability, but in how it connects disciplines, people, and perspectives to deliver outcomes that work for the environment and the communities they serve.
“Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room,” says Azam. “It’s about setting direction and bringing others along.”
“It’s about being the kind of business that listens and learns, not just one that delivers,” adds Steve.
Listening before acting
As an Engineering Fellow and one of Aotearoa’s most experienced environmental engineers, Azam has spent his career helping industries and councils find better ways to manage water and wastewater. His philosophy is simple: listen first, then act. “Every site, every community, every client is different,” he says. “The solutions that work are the ones grounded in understanding.”
For Steve, whose background is in mechanical engineering and project delivery, purpose comes from connection. “Technical excellence is a given, he says. “It’s what happens beyond that which sets us apart: how we collaborate, how we engage, and how we make decisions that endure.”
“Every site, every community, every client is different. The solutions that work are the ones grounded in understanding.”
Azam Khan
Water at the heart of change
Both leaders agree New Zealand’s water and wastewater sector is at a defining point. Ageing infrastructure, growth, and climate change are reshaping how councils, industries, communities, and the people who rely on these systems plan for the future.
“We’re seeing more organisations wanting to move beyond compliance to find sustainable solutions,” says Azam. “That means thinking differently about how we manage water, recovering nutrients, improving energy efficiency, and designing for resilience.”
Steve adds, “Water connects everything, including communities, industry, and ecosystems. The best outcomes come when hydrology, ecology, planning, and engineering work together from the start.”
Mā te mahi tahi ka ora ai te wai – through working together, the water will thrive.
Guided by mātauranga Māori and scientific evidence, PDP works alongside iwi, councils, and communities to protect wai and ensure solutions reflect both environmental and cultural values.
Innovation through collaboration
At PDP, innovation is grounded in curiosity and collective thinking. “When we bring together engineers, planners, and scientists, and when we listen to iwi, councils, and communities, we find smarter, more enduring solutions,” says Steve.
Azam agrees. “Innovation isn’t always about doing something new,” he says. “It’s about doing what we already do, better.”
That mindset has guided projects that balance environmental goals with practical outcomes, from the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade and Fonterra Te Awamutu wastewater optimisation to the Taniwha Springs source protection project, helping safeguard one of Rotorua’s key freshwater supplies.
“Water connects everything, including communities, industry, and ecosystems.
Steve Pearce
Working across disciplines
Collaboration sits at the heart of Steve’s leadership. “No one discipline can solve the challenges we’re facing,” he says. “The best results come when our people work across boundaries, hydrologists with ecologists, engineers with planners, scientists with project managers.”
Projects such as the Fonterra Hautapu and Russell Wastewater Treatment Plant re-consenting demonstrate this multidisciplinary strength. Both required close coordination between technical experts and local partners to deliver outcomes that were environmentally sound, culturally aligned, and future-focused.
People, purpose, and the future
For Steve, optimism for the future starts with people. “He tangata, he tangata, he tangata, it’s the people,” he says. “What makes me optimistic is the calibre of our people and the partnerships we’re building. There’s a new generation of engineers, planners, and scientists who think holistically and want to make a difference.”
Azam shares that sense of purpose. “It’s impossible to have a great life unless it’s a meaningful one,” he says. “That sense of purpose drives me, to know the work we’re doing has a positive impact on the environment and people’s lives.”
He believes PDP’s strength lies in its people. “At PDP, we’re not driven by hierarchy, we’re driven by purpose. We listen, collaborate, and focus on what genuinely makes a difference.”
Closing reflection
At PDP, shaping tomorrow is not about slogans or quick wins. It is about the everyday decisions that strengthen systems, build trust, and protect natural resources.
“Today Shapes Tomorrow isn’t a slogan for me,” says Azam. “It’s a reminder that everything we do now has an impact, even the small decisions.”
Steve adds, “The future isn’t something we wait for, it’s something we build.”
From municipal and industrial water treatment to land, groundwater, and ecological restoration, PDP’s work spans the full spectrum of environmental challenges. The purpose remains constant: helping clients make better decisions today for a more resilient tomorrow. Together with iwi, councils, and communities, PDP is shaping enduring partnerships and practical solutions that protect Aotearoa’s environment for generations to come.