'I'm terrified of earthquakes, but the work has to be done' (From Western Telegraph)

'I'm terrified of earthquakes, but the work has to be done'

A Pembrokeshire water engineer flew out to Indonesia last week to rebuild the water supplies destroyed by the tsunami.

Leaving his baby son and partner behind, Jamie Ashe, from Newport, is to spend four months in Banda Aceh and surrounding areas, which were devastated by the tsunami. Jamie said: "I am very lucky to have been offered this job. I will be working on projects funded by Catholic relief services.

"The aim is to set up five local teams installing water supply and sanitation. I want to get as much done as possible and set up systems that can continue effectively when I am finished."

Jamie, who previously worked for six months in Uganda, said: "The climate will be difficult to work in and I will be looking for somewhere safe and solid to sleep as I have been terrified of earthquakes from an early age.

"But the work has got to be done and infrastructure engineering that can cope with sea flooding will be a growth area, as global warming causes sea level rises in the coming decades.

"We should be able to do a lot in four months and I couldn't be away from my baby son for longer than that."

After attending Steiner school, Jamie went to Sir Thomas Picton and Pembrokeshire College. He then did an MSc in community water supply and sanitation.

Jamie runs his own Newport-based business called Tidwr Springs, creating and repairing private water supplies, designing and installing reed bed sewage treatment plants and is now expanding into solar hot water systems.

Over the next four months Jamie will be sending updates of his progress.