What is your current position? What are your areas of focus?
Engineering Technician: Installation and design
What are your career journey highlights?
From early on, I’ve been driven by a deep curiosity for solving complex challenges, particularly those with real-world impact. That led me to explore in plumbing, after I found that it essential. One of my most defining moments came when I migrated to South Africa, where i started working with companies that were dealing with more complex plumbing problems. It pushed me to grow not just as a professional, but also as a strategic thinker and collaborator. And it made me eager to study and upgrade my skills, and register with different boards in plumbing for me to gain more knowledge.
What first got you interested in the plumbing engineering field?
Plumbing engineering stood out to me because it's not just technical—it's vital. It shapes public health, sustainability, and day-to-day comfort in ways most people don’t even notice.
What motivates me most is knowing that behind every clean drop of water and every energy-efficient system, there’s thoughtful design. I love being part of a field that balances problem-solving with service—helping people live better through smarter infrastructure.
What are the most exciting or rewarding aspects of your work?
For me, the most exciting part is solving complex problems in real time—especially when a system isn't behaving as expected and I need to trace the issue from root to resolution. It’s like detective work that rewards persistence and creativity.
But what’s truly rewarding is seeing tangible results—like knowing that a family now has reliable hot water or that a facility is running more efficiently because of something I helped design or fix. That’s when the work feels bigger than the job title.
What value have you gained from participation in ASPE Connect?
ASPE Connect has been an invaluable resource for tapping into collective expertise. Whether it’s troubleshooting complex system layouts or exploring new sustainability practices, I’ve gained practical insights that directly enhance the quality of my work.
Through the discussions and case studies shared, I’ve deepened my understanding of codes, new technologies, and best practices. That ongoing learning has sharpened both my technical and strategic thinking.
What are some of the most interesting plumbing design challenges you have encountered?
One of the most interesting challenges I faced involved retrofitting a solar-boosted hot water system into an existing building with no as-built plans and extremely limited roof space. At first glance, the setup looked straightforward—but the building’s old piping network and fluctuating municipal pressure turned it into a bit of a puzzle.
What is your favorite hobby or pastime outside of work?
Watching movies based on true stories, reading and playing video games
Be sure to connect with @Ernest Munyukwi and say hello!