Eddie Aplerh-Doku, PE, DBIA, ENV SP

There are three aspects of program management that I find especially invigorating: 

1. Team Building: I enjoy fostering high-performing, integrated teams and collaborating closely with clients to achieve shared goals. Watching a team evolve into a cohesive, well-coordinated unit is incredibly rewarding. 
2. Strategic Vision: Program management requires planning for both immediate objectives and long-term sustainability. I enjoy aligning these dual priorities to ensure each program’s success, both in the present and in the future.  
3. Delivering Impact: Seeing tangible results is deeply fulfilling, whether it’s achieving key project milestones or successfully securing critical funding that drives a program forward.

Successful program management begins with truly listening to the client. Every program has unique needs, and our solutions must be customized to address those specific challenges. This means resisting the temptation to apply a one-size-fits-all template and instead crafting strategies that align with the client’s goals.

Quality management is another foundational principle. Whether in planning, design, or construction, establishing a robust quality management system—and gaining the team’s buy-in—is essential to delivering projects that are safe, cost-effective, and completed on time and within budget.

Water and wastewater infrastructure will continue to evolve in response to emerging challenges and opportunities. I foresee several key trends shaping the future: 

• Smart Technologies: Advanced sensors and artificial intelligence-driven tools are transforming monitoring and maintenance, enabling real-time leak detection, predictive maintenance, and optimized system performance. 
• Climate Resilience: Infrastructure must adapt to more frequent and extreme weather events, including hurricanes, derechos, and rising sea levels. This will drive the need for innovative, climate-resilient designs. 
• Sustainable Construction: The use of durable, corrosion-resistant materials, less disruptive construction methods, such as trenchless technologies, and collaborative delivery methods will increase. 
• Resource Recovery: Wastewater will increasingly be viewed as a resource, enabling energy production, water reuse, and nutrient recovery. 
• Equity in Infrastructure: Environmental justice principles and community participation will guide project prioritization and implementation, ensuring equitable benefits for all communities.

Growing up, I often visited my grandparents in a rural area without piped water, where we would fetch water from a local station. This childhood experience sparked my interest in rural development and community water systems.

Through Engineers Without Borders USA, I’ve mentored students on design projects and worked alongside them to implement these projects with local communities. One of my most impactful experiences was partnering with Safe Water Network to support a market-based, sustainable community water supply program in Ghana. Now boasting over 445,000 people and 143 communities served, this program improves public health by implementing household connections with prepaid meters. Its sustainability comes from a model where capital costs are funded through donations while user rates cover operating costs. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see such initiatives make a lasting difference.

I was inspired to join the company because of its innovative approaches to tackling water infrastructure challenges. I’m particularly drawn to the company’s focus on equitable project implementation within an environmental justice framework and its long-standing reputation for excellence in engineering, construction, and architecture.

Much of what I’ve learned about team building, commitment, and discipline comes from my years of playing soccer. Besides soccer, I love cycling—it’s my way of exploring nature and the built environment. I’m also fascinated by waterfalls and have been fortunate to visit three of the most breathtaking falls in the world: Iguazu Falls, Victoria Falls, and Niagara Falls. These experiences remind me of the beauty and power of water, which continue to inspire my work in water infrastructure.