Faumuina Tua Vaai: Lessons from OzWater 2025

Faumuina Tua Vaai: Lessons from Ozwater 2025

As a Wastewater Engineer at the Samoa Water Authority, Faumuina Tua Vaai understands the urgent realities of climate change and water insecurity facing Pacific Island nations. But it was his experience as a Young Water Professional (YWP) at the 2025 Ozwater Conference in Adelaide that truly expanded his vision of what’s possible and what’s necessary, for the future of the region’s water sector.

Thanks to the support of Australian Water Partnership and the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association, Tua joined other emerging Pacific leaders at one of the world's premier water events. For him, Ozwater wasn’t just a conference, it was a turning point.

“This experience wasn’t just about technical learning,” says Tua. “It challenged how I think about leadership, sustainability, and the future of water systems in Samoa and across the Pacific.”

A standout moment for Tua was the presentation by Dr. Samuel Skinner of Aurecon, whose personal journey into the water sector and focus on decarbonisation through green hydrogen and circular economy solutions left a deep impression.

Tua came away with concrete ideas for sustainable wastewater practices, like sludge-to-biogas conversion and solar-integrated system that could be applied at home to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

Another lightbulb moment came during a strategic foresight session with Dr. Ariella Helgott from the World Energy Council. Introduced to future-focused tools like horizon scanning and backcasting, Tua saw how Pacific utilities could shift from reactive decision-making to proactive, long-term planning - even in the face of deep uncertainty.

“The concept of imagining the future we want and working backwards to build it, really resonated with me. It gave me a framework to bring back to my utility and start conversations around not just adapting, but leading,” he said.

Throughout the YWP program, Tua engaged in rich, intergenerational dialogues on climate resilience, inclusivity, and innovation. He was especially moved by the “time travel” theme curated by AECOM which bridged traditional knowledge with modern technology and future aspirations. For Tua, this affirmed the Pacific’s unique strength: combining indigenous wisdom with cutting-edge ideas to build adaptive and culturally relevant water solutions.

The experience ended with inspiring site visits from the green design of Adelaide Botanic Gardens to the Breakout Creek restoration project and a behind-the-scenes tour of Amiblu Flowtite’s pipe manufacturing facility.

Each tour reinforced the idea that water infrastructure can be both sustainable and meaningful technically excellent and culturally respectful.

Reflecting on the journey, Tua said, “Ozwater 2025 reignited my purpose. It’s empowered me to lead change, advocate for innovation, and help shape low-carbon, inclusive water systems in the Pacific. I’m not just bringing back knowledge I’m also bringing back momentum.”