Our Team

The WAI team, led by Adrian Wilson, bring excellent skill sets to the table and have experience in carrying out assignments for clients at a local, regional, provincial, national and international level.

Adrian Wilson

Institutional Development and Strategic Management Specialist

Mr Adrian Wilson, the founder of WAI, is a Chartered and Professional Civil Engineer with a Masters degree in Business Leadership. He has approximately 35 years experience in the water industry, 11 years in local government and 11 years in the utility sector. During this time, Adrian acquired 18 years of management experience at various levels. For the 5 years prior to forming WAI, he held a top executive position in Umgeni Water, a major water utility in South Africa.

Adrian has been involved in a wide range of consulting assignments, usually in the role of Team Leader of multi-disciplinary teams. Institutional development has been a particular area of focus however Adrian has also been involved in assignments addressing due diligence assessments, sector regulation, strategic planning, SWAP and programme management. He has also worked extensively in projects addressing the provision of services to low income communities. His experience transcends a range of sectors however local government, water services and water resources are areas of particular strength.

Geraldine Schoeman

Social Development and Gender Specialist

Geraldine Schoeman is a social development specialist with more than 30 years’ experience in research and development activities within a multi-disciplinary context relating to social empowerment and institutional and individual change management. This includes wide experience in Participative Rapid Assessment, Rapid Rural Appraisal, Participative Poverty Assessments, Social Impact and Poverty Social Impact Assessments, Socio-economic Surveys, Sustainable Livelihoods Assessments, Quality of Life Assessments, mid-term reviews and assessments of constraints and challenges to development within the SADC region. Geraldine has extensive experience in projects addressing the provision of services to low income communities in the rural, urban and peri-urban contexts.

Clive Cumming

Water Utility Specialist

Clive Cumming has approximately 50 years’ experience in the water industry. His particular skills lie in the areas of water services operations and infrastructure asset management, water services strategic, institutional and infrastructure master planning, institutional capability and performance assessment and development. He has a National Diploma in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Clive has been involved in a wide range of assignments for the local government and water (and sanitation) utility sectors. He also has wide experience of water and wastewater treatment processes and the Blue Drop/Green Drop certification processes.

Erasmus Smith

Municipal Engineering Services Specialist

Rassie Smith is a Professional Engineer with more than 30 years’ experience. Following his engineering studies at the University of Stellenbosch he has followed a career path that included a number of years spent at Armscor as Development Engineer and the provision of services to the Department of Agriculture. Subsequently he worked as The Technical Director in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality and was a key part of the Eastern Cape Rapid Response Unit, supporting water services challenges in a range of municipalities, including institutional support. Rassie has wide experience of the challenges, constraints and support needs facing municipalities. He also has excellent practical experience in the agricultural sector.

Godfrey Sitholimela

WASH and Monitoring and Evaluation specialist

Godfrey Sitholimela specialises in M&E and the development and implementation of WASH programmes. He has worked extensively with national, provincial and local government in the water and sanitation sector. He is experienced in the rollout of tools and guidelines to stakeholders and conducting municipal baseline surveys. He has worked extensively with the planning and implementation of community water supply and sanitation programmes, including sanitation in schools. Godfrey has substantial experience in data collection and management, and in the development of systems and tools for information management. He is a skilled and experienced IT administrator and webmaster.

Godfrey Sitholimela’s key skill sets:

School sanitation programmes: planning, implementation and maintenance
Development of Health and Hygiene Education Planning and implementation
Monitoring and evaluation of programmes
Data management and reporting
Institutional capacity enhancement
Stakeholder engagement and water sector surveys and research
Integrated water resource management
Institutional and Social Development tools and guidelines
Administration and IT support

Craig Howard Thompson

Water Utility & Planning Specialist

Craig Thompson is a Registered Professional Engineer with twenty six years’ postgraduate experience in the civil engineering industry and has extensive experience in both the private and public water services sector. He has extensive experience in the planning, design, contract management, operations and maintenance aspects of water services with a particular focus in the Eastern Cape Province. He also has experience in structural engineering, rural roads, stormwater, sanitation and municipal services projects.

He graduated in 1993 with a BSc Civil Engineering degree from the University of Cape Town and completed his MBA in 2015 at Rhodes University. He started his professional career in the private sector in 1994 with Hayne Ross and Kleyn Consulting Engineers as a design and project management engineer. The experience was gained in the design and project management of water, sanitation, roads, stormwater, bridges, and structural engineering projects.

He then moved to the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) in 1999 to take up the post of Deputy Director: Engineering Services where he was responsible for the water services function of the municipality. Responsibility included the management of the ADM water and wastewater supply schemes, water services planning and programme management. Following a short period at the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality as the Water Services Authority Manager he joined Amatola Water as the Director: Planning and Development in 2005. He served there for 11 years and was responsible for the PIA, water conservation and demand management, scientific services and infrastructure planning functions. This included leading the strategic planning function and annual business planning process. At this time he was an integral part of the team that developed new business opportunities such as the Right Of Use contracts and other O&M contracts with government clients.

He then joined CBM Africa Consulting Engineers in 2016 and became a Director in 2017. He also fulfilled the role of Managing Director for the 2017/18 financial year during a transition stage in the organization. He was responsible for numerous projects and assessments during this period including reinforced concrete rehabilitation, water supply feasibility studies, and municipal services projects. He has since become an independent contractor since April 2019. He contracts his expertise to various consultants and undertakes various civil and structural engineering projects in his own right.

Craig Howard Thompson’s key skill sets:

Planning & Management

Amathole District Municipality (ADM) Capital Project Management 1999-2004
ADM Water Services Development Plan review 2000-2004
Mnquma and Mbhahse Local Municipality water supply plans 2003-2004
Amatola Water Infrastructure Master Plan review 2010-11
Right Of Use Contract for Chris Hani District Municipality and ADM 2007-2011
Amatola Water Business Plan 2006 -2015
Amatola Water Strategy Development 2006-2012
Amatola Water Project Implementation Agency management 2006-2015
ADM Water and Waste Water Operation and Manintenance Management 1999 – 2004
Amatola Water Planning and Develpment Management 2005 – 2016
BCMM Water Service Authority Management 2004 – 2005

Projects

Newlands Water Supply Project – R3.5 M
Macleantown Water Supply – R600K
Newlands Sanitation Project – R3,9M
Newlands Gravel Road Project – R 1,1M
Nxruni Pedestrian Bridge – R750K
Eskom Sunilaws Office – Structural Design – R50M
Port St Johns Water Supply Feasibility Study – R350K
Blind River Pedestrian Bridge Repair – R 1,3M
BCMM Bridge Refurbishment Project – R6,9M
Blind River Pedestrian Bridge – R1,3M
Coega Truck Stop Preliminary Design – R1,6M
Thynk Property Municipal Services Development – R4,1M
Ward 30 Gravel Road Project – Enoch Mgijima Municipality – R9,5M
NEX Bridge Refurbishment Programme – R 5,6 M
BCMM Munifin Building Structural Assessment – R 195K
Kareedouw Sewage Pond Refurbishment – R1,2M

Machiel Steynberg

Natural Scientist and Water Quality Specialist PhD

Machiel Steynberg is a Water Quality Specialist. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the corporate water industry as subject matter expert. Since 2004 he fulfilled the role as consultant and subject expert for the National Department of Water Affairs. He also acted as Lead Assessor during national audits performed by the National Department of Water Affairs.

His particular skills lie in the areas of process audits, optimization and control, water quality analysis and water quality compliance management, including pro-active risk managements as required by Water Safety Plan.

Machiel obtained his Ph.D. in 1995 on the oxidation of algal biomass, as pre-oxidation process during the production of potable water. He is a senior fellow of the Water Institute of Southern Africa.

He has worked extensively in the public and parastatal sectors in South Africa, Nigeria, Lesotho, Malawi and Mauritius occupying senior managements positions During this time, he occupied a range of positions in middle and top management.

Dr Steynberg’s key skill sets:

Drinking water treatment
Waste water treatment
Potable water and Waste water Safety Plans
Water Process and Quality compliance Audits
Process Optimization
Water and Waste water quality analysis
Integrated Water utility management
Water services management and development
Skills transfer and Water Quality Training
Skills assessments and formulation of workplace skill plans

Samantha Schoeman

Sustainability Reporting and Climate Change

Samantha is a dynamic and adaptable Manager and Consultant with a wealth of knowledge in diverse fields ranging from Business Management and Administration, Sustainability and Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics and Compliance, as well as Capacity Building, TQM, Project Administration and Management and Operations Management.

She is computer literate in numerous IT programs ranging from Microsoft (MS) Office Suite, Slack, JIRA, and Trello.

She has practical involvement as both Team Member and Lead in a variety of different projects, environments, and circumstances, with an ability to develop relationships and positively influence others.

She has demonstrated leadership skills, as well as strong business acumen, initiative, and innovation and is a highly organised and professional individual.

Samantha Schoeman’s key skill sets:

Ensuring Regulatory and Authority Compliance requirements are met.
Sustainability and development.
Development and Implementation of Knowledge Management Systems and Tools.
Compilation of Social Impact Assessment and associated Reports and Action Plans.
Assist in the review and development process of Social Safeguards and Frameworks.
Undertaking and managing socio-economic surveys, including analysis and interpretation of survey data.
Engaging with stakeholders at community and government levels.

Peter Allen

Township Services & Procurement

Peter was registered with ECSA as a Professional Engineer in 1978.
From 1990 to 2015 he was managing director of a small engineering consulting company focusing on the local government and water sectors, often working as a sub-consultant to Wilson and Associates International.

Peter has nine years’ experience of public-sector employment (ultimately as Chief Civil Engineer of a small government department), and twenty five years’ experience in the water services sector.

He is a generalist, able to identify problem areas and required specialist solutions, and has a close understanding of the particular constraints and peculiarities of the public sector, particularly at local government/municipal level.

He has worked extensively in the public sector, as an employee and subsequently as an institutional support consultant.

Peter’s key skill sets:

Wide water and sanitation sector experience (all aspects of the project life cycle)
Extensive experience of legislation affecting service-delivery Departments and municipalities
Extensive experience of working in a developing country context (South Africa)
Good experience in water services infrastructure, master planning and policy requirements
Extensive experience of local government work
Extensive experience of institutional support work
Direct experience, on a turn-key basis, of “quick-win” solutions for rural water supplies, including spring and borehole development