Colleen Arnold

President of Aqua Water, Essential Utilities

Search every verified Colleen Arnold interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Colleen Arnold, president of Aqua Water at Essential Utilities, appeared in the August 2025 episode of the company's "The People Behind the Pipes" series. She discussed her career path, stating that she was drawn to Aqua because "we get things done, we get things built, we fix problems," contrasting this with her experience working as a consultant for municipalities, which she described as having "so many budget constraints and bureaucracy around procurement." Arnold said the most rewarding aspect of her field is "that we make water systems better," citing work on lead, nutrients in water bodies, and wastewater, and said "we fund it, we do it, and we make it better all the time." Arnold also shared that she originally wanted to be an English and math teacher but was encouraged by her father to become an engineer. She advised others to "be curious first and foremost," "ask a lot of questions," and "lean into what makes you uncomfortable." She expressed a desire to ensure "every girl knows that they can be good at math, they can be good at engineering," adding that she does not want anyone to "think they're just not good at that."