Congratulations to David Sheehan on being awarded a Public Service Medal in this year’s King’s Birthday honours, for outstanding public service in strengthening drinking water safety and public health protection.
David has supported WaterRA’s work for many years, including serving on our board from 2014-2021.
He has been involved with the Australia water industry for over 35 years, holding water quality and regulation roles at Coliban Water and the Victorian Department of Health, and has been involved in various national and international committees related to drinking water quality and risk management. His work has helped strengthen regulatory frameworks and water safety practices, supporting greater confidence and public health protection.
Through senior regulatory and technical leadership roles across government and the water sector, David's outstanding and transformative contribution to drinking water safety, regulation and public health in Victoria, Australia and internationally has shaped world-leading approaches that continue to protect communities.
He played a central role in the design and implementation of Victoria’s Safe Drinking Water regulatory framework, pioneering a shift from reactive testing to proactive risk management. This approach became the benchmark nationally and influenced international practice, significantly strengthening protections against waterborne disease.
David has also made an exceptional contribution beyond Victoria. He has shared expertise across Australia and internationally through advisory committees, industry networks and partnerships, including work supporting World Health Organization guidance and capacity-building initiatives in the Asia Pacific and Africa. He also contributed significantly to forming a partnership with Vietnam to support the modernisation of water treatment in Viet Tri City.
His commitment to knowledge-sharing and mentoring has also helped build capability across generations of water professionals.
Congratulations, David!