Craig cycles up 35 years with SA Water

Craig Morrison has spent 35 years working as a wastewater treatment plant operator for SA Water, a job he approaches with as much passion as his love for cycling.

At 54, Craig, originally from Oakbank but who now calls Murray Bridge home, reflects on his long career with pride.

"It doesn’t feel like 35 years. The first few years seemed long, but the rest have flown by," he says.

Craig began as a diesel mechanic apprentice in 1990 at the Ottoway workshop when SA Water was still the South Australian Engineering and Water Supply Department.

Over time, he adapted to changes and upgrades to technology and innovations, but the focus remained the same: delivering quality wastewater treatment.

He enjoys the challenge of keeping treatment plants running smoothly, knowing the many variables that need to be closely monitored to ensure the system remains functional and online.

"We're really just bug farmers," he laughs, referring to the biological process at the heart of wastewater treatment.

"The bugs do the work, and we provide the right environment."

Wastewater treatment plants play an essential role in public health and sanitation by containing and treating sewage which is transported from homes and businesses through an extensive network of pipes and pumps.

Operators like Craig are responsible for the day-to-day management of the plants, ensuring they can safely and efficiently process these large volumes of wastewater.

In his early years, Craig's curiosity led to a simple but effective innovation: the design of a new fitting.

His design removed four fittings needed to connect two pipes, effectively streamlining the process with a design that became known as the Morrison Fitting.

After crafting a prototype, he met the head of procurement at SA Water by chance, who approved the design and added it to the utility’s fittings catalogue.

"I carried that fitting everywhere I went – there was no newsletter at the time to announce it,” he says with a laugh.

His curiosity extends to mentoring the next generation of apprentices who join SA Water.

"When I started, it was the veterans teaching me. Now, I get to do that for them," he says.

Outside of work, Craig cycles to stay fit, training for events like the Tour Down Under and the Three Peaks in the Victorian High Country.

"Cycling clears my mind," he explains.

"After a certain number of kilometres, all you can focus on is breathing."

He averages 100 kilometres a week but steps up his training to 300 kilometres when preparing for races.

His goal for the Three Peaks ride is to one day finish the 235-kilometre course in under 10 hours.

Cycling isn't his only passion – Craig is also a regular in the Murray Bridge community theatre, though he jokes he’s never played the lead role.

Like his theatre performances, Craig’s career has spanned multiple sites throughout the Adelaide Hills including Heathfield, Hahndorf, Gumeracha and Woodside, and each has offered new experiences that have kept his work fresh.

"Wastewater treatment is like a box of chocolates," he says with a smile.