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NICK COPELAND
Digital Water Lead – Canada at Arup Canada Inc.
NICK COPELAND leads Arup’s Digital Water practice in Canada, bringing a systems-level approach to climate-resilient water
infrastructure that bridges traditional engineering with digital
technology. Holding a Master of Philosophy in Engineering for
Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge,
Nick is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario and Nova
Scotia, as well as a Chartered Engineer in the UK. Throughout
his career across North America and Europe, he has specialized
in hydraulic modeling, 昀氀ood resilience, stormwater management, and green infrastructure, establishing a strong track
record of transitioning isolated utility projects into data-driven,
integrated systems.
Nick has played a pivotal role in delivering several of
Canada’s most signi昀椀cant urban transformations and transit
developments. As the Drainage and Stormwater Lead for the $5
billion Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, he directs stormwater design and regulatory alignment across complex, multi-agency stakeholders. He also leads the stormwater strategy for the
massive Downsview Redevelopment, oversees Toronto Water’s
Geospatial Data Platform (GDAS) implementation, and contributed to Toronto’s Growing Green Streets program. By synthesizing utility constraints, green infrastructure design, geospatial
analysis, and social equity into practical municipal frameworks,
Nick enables major urban centers to scale sustainable infrastructure e昀케ciently. Prior to his work in Canada, he helped deliver
the award-winning Llanelli catchment program in the UK, leveraging digital optioneering and hydraulic modeling to replace
conventional storage-heavy solutions—delivering a £98 million
approach that drastically cut costs, carbon footprint, and 昀氀ood
risk compared to a £377 million alternative.
Beyond his project leadership, Nick drives digital innovation
by embedding GIS platforms, digital twins, automation, and
AI-enabled work昀氀ows into complex engineering tasks. As Chair
of the Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO) Intelligent Water Solutions Committee and Arup’s Americas Water
Skills Network Leader, he actively fosters cross-industry collaboration between utilities, technology providers, and consultants.
A dedicated mentor to early-career engineers and students, Nick
is widely recognized for his collaborative leadership style, technical excellence, and dedication to building long-term capability
across the infrastructure sector.
SITE REPORTS
IN 2011, Nick interned with a non-profit that helped design a
children's home in Aflao, Ghana.
He spent nearly 7 years in the UK working for Arup as a civil
engineer.
Nick had a brief stint as a teaching assistant at Oklahoma
State University.
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