Water management and infrastructure

Population growth, climate change, industrial development, financial constraints and ageing water assets continue to put pressure on conventional water and wastewater technologies and infrastructure. We help our clients find the right solutions to their challenges through innovative planning and design, deep knowledge of national/local regulatory environments, foresight around future challenges, and by understanding the alternative delivery mechanisms available in today’s tough economic climate.

Water management has become a great concern to municipalities, water services suppliers and to the industrial and agricultural sectors. With population growth and increasing competition for available and suitable water resources, all parties have been prioritising efficient water resource management and seeking solutions to sustainably reduce consumption and losses.

WSP takes a holistic and sustainable approach to managing and minimising the use of natural resources. We support governments, investors, developers, manufacturers, utilities and corporations worldwide by assessing and mitigating risks, meeting regulatory requirements, reducing the cost of resource use and disposal, and creating strategies for a sustainable future.

Complete services for any water project

Our experts consider water implications across the entire development cycle, providing a complete perspective to enable efficient and effective designs. We identify issues in the early stages to optimise usage, spatial and master planning, to maximise land value, consider financing and funding options, minimise project costs, seek environmental and biodiversity gain and deliver sustainable long-term solutions for communities. Our water resource and maritime engineering specialists can also support your project.

Preserving water assets, infrastructure and supply

WSP works with authorities, utilities and developers to preserve, monitor, manage, and improve water assets, infrastructure and supply. Our advisory services include water quality and pollution, the design of mitigation and restoration solutions, and continuous monitoring programmes.

We assess the health and status of wetlands and water-based ecosystems and devise innovative and location/ecology specific wetland management techniques, as well as designing cost effective, low impact, water infrastructure and treatment plants. From renewables to traditional sources, we support hydropower facilities, offshore wind farms, and associated harbour engineering and water desalination plants.

Innovative tools to increase efficiency

The scarcity and critical role of water in sustainable economic growth has made it a critical business issue. WSP has developed innovative end-to-end water footprinting and measurement techniques to visually display water profiles, thus highlighting the water-intense areas of a business, particularly when drawing water from regions where it is scarce. Our efficiency programmes, which also include energy use, carbon and productivity considerations, focus on areas where working with our clients can make the biggest material impact.

Efficiency programmes for buildings may include rainwater harvesting, improved storm water management, groundwater resource replenishment and holistic water re-use. We assess water use in the design, manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of products. Our green product design experts and online tools help reduce water use across product life cycles. We can also measure, implement and monitor efficiencies across entire organisations and their associated supply chains.

For over a decade now we’ve been working with Essex & Suffolk Water to help its domestic customers save precious water and at the same time reduce both their water and energy bills. Participating customers are each saving on average 24.3 litres per day.

Technical services for water

WSP addresses water challenges through advanced technologies and expertise, with our team of highly skilled technical experts leading the way in technological innovation and project delivery. From field investigations to numerical modelling and simulation, we give clients the flexibility to incorporate our expertise at virtually any phase of a water management project. Whether selecting from our specialised services to fill technical gaps, or using our fundamental services throughout an integrated project, our team of professionals provide our clients with unparalleled experience and technological proficiency, never losing sight of the client’s needs and goals.

Our field and interpretation tools are engineered to capture high-resolution data in diverse subsurface environments, providing reliable information to support critical decisions. We use optimal technologies to deliver reliable and cost-effective results, including: