top of page
Tara Head shot.jpg
Tara Okan
Water & Wastewater Treatment Specialist​

 

Tara Okan brings a diverse and specialized background in environmental science, with formal training in Botany, Freshwater Ecology, and Marine Zoology. Early in his career, Tara worked as a Marine Biologist and assistant to the renowned Prof. John Morton at Auckland University, focusing on diving, research, and the illustration of coral reef species in Fiji. His expertise then expanded into the New Zealand Forest Service and Film Industry, where he served as a wilderness location manager, drafting environmental impact reports and developing mitigation strategies to facilitate filming in ecologically sensitive areas.

​

Driven by a passion for safeguarding water bodies from industrial pollution—triggered by witnessing increasing environmental degradation from plastic, abattoir waste, and other toxic effluents—Tara joined DCM Process Control Ltd. There, he discovered his passion for using submersible UV-Vis spectrophotometers to track industrial pollutants and advocate for cleaner practices. Today, his focus lies in delivering advanced feed-forward process control solutions for water and wastewater treatment plants, specializing in industrial effluent treatment for safe environmental discharge.

​

In 2012, Tara founded The New Zealand Trade and Industrial Waste Forum Inc. (NZTIWF) and continues to serve as its Secretary. Under his leadership, NZTIWF has grown into a significant organization with hundreds of members, including Trade Waste Officers, Consent Commissioners, and representatives from local and regional councils. Tara leads the NZTIWF working committee, which has been formally tasked with drafting legislation for national trade waste standards in New Zealand.

​

Over his career, Tara has accumulated extensive experience across the water, wastewater, and marine sectors, working with a wide range of clients, including local industries, regional authorities, and major corporations in New Zealand and Australia. His specialist expertise lies in feed-forward process control for water and wastewater treatment plants. Notable projects include roles as a project scientist for Southern Water and Hamilton Water Treatment Plants, Morrinsville and Pukekohe Wastewater Treatment Plants, and chemical dosing installations at WPI Wastewater Treatment Plant. He has also led industrial effluent monitoring initiatives at Damar Industries in Rotorua.

​

Tara’s deep understanding of environmental compliance and contract obligations allows him to design and implement precise monitoring systems that meet both regulatory and operational needs. He is dedicated to delivering value-driven solutions with a high degree of accuracy, focusing on sustainable outcomes for both clients and the environment.

​​

Management Skills:

  • Extensive water and wastewater expertise particularly in trade waste detection, analysis and process treatment.

  • Project analyst and solution provider.

  • Project management and design skills including critical path planning.

  • Proven abilities in client liaison establishing strong relationships with clients, consultants, subcontractors local and regional council officers and regulatory boards.

  • Proven track record of process delivery customer service and relationship management  including plant commissioning and interactive staff training

 

Technical Skills:

  • Specialist in instrumentation selection and implementation for process control

  • Technical writing and documentation skills; Functional Description manuals, Standard Operating Procedure documents, technical documents and process overviews.

  • Instrument training calibration and commissioning services.

  • Influent and effluent studies including Compositional analysis and UV-vis spectrophotometry.

  • On-going process design projects including university studies for the use of nitrates and ammonia feed forward control in wastewater treatment processes.

bottom of page