Pressure on the world’s freshwater resources is greater than ever before, with population growth, rising per capita water consumption, and increasing environmental protection efforts all contributing to availability and distribution responsibility. Water resource studies are more than hydrological science: they must consider economic, social, and even political dimensions.
The key to sustainable development of water resources lies in developing a thorough understanding of variability and availability, taking an integrated approach to development and management, as well as ensuring the participation of stakeholders at all stages of the project. WSP offers comprehensive services covering all aspects of the evaluation, development, and management of water resources.
We also advise governments and regulatory bodies on policies for the regulation and protection of water resources, offering a wide range of services necessary to assist in the development of their capacities in hydrometric data collection, water resource assessment, and quality assessment.
Ground Water
Groundwater is an important natural resource that provides a secure and highly reliable source of water supply for rural and urban communities, industry, and the environment in general. Groundwater development involves identification of suitable aquifers, as well as locating, designing, constructing, monitoring, and operating well fields to secure the needed water supply in a sustainable manner.
Our teams are experts in developing water resource management systems to minimise impacts to other legal users, to groundwater resources, and to the environment, as required by fundamental regulatory requirements. Developing and managing groundwater resources in a sustainable manner requires aquifer characterisation, groundwater modelling, expertise in well construction and development, and intimate knowledge of regulatory requirements.
Our highly experienced staff is ready to help in providing practical, cost-effective services relating to groundwater quality, supply, resource protection, aquifers recharge, dewatering, monitoring, national and international regulations, planning, licensing and management controls.
Surface Water
Extreme weather conditions and climate change are placing increased stress on surface water resources. WSP provides solutions that help protect surface water resources, while managing them sustainably for the long term. Our specialised team of hydrologists and engineers helps clients to manage surface water, from technical assessment and design through to advice on policy and legislation.
Our team’s experience allows us to offer a comprehensive range of surface water management services and to provide practical, cost-effective, and innovative solutions for projects of any scale. Our surface water management services include monitoring and assessment of quality and flow rates, storm water management, flood risk assessment, surface water supply, erosion control, stream restoration, lake restoration, dredging and management of point and non-point discharges.
Brackish or Saline Water
Our experts have a clear understanding of the environmental issues involved in desalination projects. We have provided design, peer reviews and construction management of multi-stage flash, multiple effect distillation, and reverse osmosis systems. We have also designed, permitted, and provided construction management for brackish water wellfields, subsurface seawater intakes, and concentrate disposal injection well systems. Our engineers have hands-on experience with all types of pre-treatment and membrane technologies, gained through involvement in desalination projects of all sizes.
WSP works with clients to explore public and private markets to determine the best available funding source for desalination projects. We have also undertaken a wide range of project investigations covering the technical and economic aspects of various types and capacities of water desalination schemes.
