Celebrating women in water in honour of World Water Day

World Water Day 2026 – Water and Gender

Every year on March 22, the United Nations marks World Water Day to celebrate water and raise awareness of the two billion people currently living without access to safe water. In Durham Region, we are lucky to be home to some of the best tap water in the world. The Region’s Environmental Services team works around the clock, behind the scenes to keep the water safe and flowing.

In honour of this year’s theme, Water and Gender, we spoke with two of our water champions in Environmental Services—Maureen and Rebecca.

“I make sure my neighbours have clean drinking water”

Maureen is an Operations Technician in the Water Resource Monitoring and Protection Division and has been at the Region for six years. Before joining the Region, she spent seven years in environmental consulting, monitoring groundwater levels and water quality across golf courses and other sites.

Her current work involves analyzing water quality trends, writing reports for internal staff and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), summarizing data, running pilot projects, monitoring the water quality of different sources, participating in the Source Water Protection program, as well as delivering educational programs about how Durham delivers safe drinking water to the public and presenting at water festivals.

“The work I do daily, directly impacts the water systems in my local community,” says Maureen. “For instance, I get to monitor water quality trends in my hometown of Cannington ensuring the drinking water delivered to my neighbours is safe. I’ve also had the opportunity to present on my position and the water system in Cannington at the public school that my children attend.”

“I make sure the lab runs smoothly”

Rebecca is a Microbiology Lab Group Leader at the York-Durham Regional Environmental Laboratory.

With 15 years working in aquatic sciences and the field of microbiology and almost 10 years at the Region, Rebecca leads a team of five to seven staff members who carry out all the microbiological water testing for both York and Durham Regions’ municipal water supply system, along with a wide range of private clients. An assortment of tests are run by the lab to help ensure water is safe to drink and use. The team’s work involves testing methods such as membrane filtration, algae enumeration and identification, and microcystin testing.

“I’m responsible for making sure our methods, quality controls, and documentation meet all accreditation and licensing requirements,” says Rebecca. “I serve as the Biological Safety Officer for the microbiology department, ensuring our lab is following lab safety policies and procedures in accordance with Canadian Biosafety standards. I also review and report results to our clients, providing guidance to Regional staff and external clients on our services and testing protocols. We have a really solid team that collaborates well and keeps things running smoothly."

The love of science

Maureen and Rebecca agree that a post-secondary education in science is essential for anyone interested in the field. Maureen found her love for science at an early age, going on to obtain a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Education, and an Environmental Technology diploma.

“I’ve always had an interest in the environment ever since I was a child growing up on a farm and gardening. I also love working with water quality data, knowing that the work I do helps the community where I live,” says Maureen. “My current position allows me to be involved with all aspects of the water cycle at the Region, from assisting water plant operation staff with projects, to reporting on our water testing to the Ministry.  My job is great because I get to be involved in many projects across many different divisions.”

Rebecca has an educational background in Biotechnology which provided her with a strong foundation in microbiology.

“While I was in school, I had the chance to do a field placement in a research lab that focused on Aquatic Ecology and Biotechnology. I will never forget the first time I had the opportunity to look at a drop of pond water under a microscope and was just amazed by the incredible microscopic life I saw. That moment really sparked my interest in water related microbiology and phycology and working in that lab helped me build my skills to pursue it further,” says Rebecca. “When an opportunity opened up at the Regional Environmental Lab in the Microbiology department, it felt like the perfect way to bring everything I’d learned into a role where I could grow, continue to learn and put my work toward something that makes a real difference for my community.”

Maureen and Rebecca encourage other women and girls with a love for science to consider a career in water, saying they have seen an increase of women working within water quality fields, including in leadership roles. Both agree that they have worked with amazing women in leadership and have learned how their strong communication and collaborative styles help to elevate teams. There are a range of careers in the water field, whether it is a position involving data management, engineering, utility management or a more hands-on position like water and wastewater treatment operations, instrumentation/SCADA technicians or laboratory analysts.

For more information about Durham’s water system and to take a behind the scenes look at the Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant with our Water Champions videos, visit Durham.ca/water.

Never miss a story. Subscribe to receive weekly updates at durham.ca/ThisWeek.