Desalination Solutions Earn Black & Veatch Global Water Award

Key projects in Asia, U.S. demonstrate value of water reuse strategies in drive toward resilience

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Black & Veatch, a global leader in alternative water supply solutions, received the Distinction Award for Desalination Company of the Year at the 2016 Global Water Summit. Black & Veatch captured the award based on a number of its key desalination projects and research efforts that push the boundaries of holistic water treatment and management.

The Global Water Awards, announced April 19 at the Global Water Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, recognize outstanding companies and projects in the water, wastewater and desalination sectors that are moving the industry forward through improved performance, innovation and sustainable financial models.

In 2015, Black & Veatch secured key desalination consultancy contracts with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) in Singapore, the government of the Hong Kong special administrative region and the Saline Water Conversion Corporation in Saudi Arabia. In the U.S., Black & Veatch served as an independent engineer on the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant project in California, commissioned in 2015. That project was named 2016 Desalination Plant of the Year in the Global Water Awards program.

Additionally, Black & Veatch is leading engineering design, procurement, field inspection and pre-commissioning as the engineer of record for the marine and desalination elements of the Escondida Water Supply project in Chile. When complete, the project will deliver 57 million gallons per day of water to Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, and it will be the largest seawater desalination plant in North and South America. The Escondida mine is majority-owned and operated by BHP Billiton.

“Achieving resilience is a major priority for the water industry,” said Cindy Wallis-Lage, President of Black & Veatch’s Water business. “Desalination and water reuse are key alternative water treatment technologies that go hand-in-hand with enhancing flexibility and resilience. They are tools to help systems withstand the extremes created by changing weather patterns and other factors that strain our water supplies. We are proud of the difference-making projects we deliver around the globe.”

The Orange County (California) Groundwater Replenishment System Initial Expansion project, which came online in 2015, recieved the Distinction for Water Reuse Project of the Year. The Black & Veatch-designed expansion for the project illustrates the technological similarities between water reuse and brackish water desalination. On another water reuse project, PUB’s Changi NEWater II plant, Black & Veatch is serving as owner’s engineer. That project, Singapore’s fifth NEWater facility, was honored as the 2016 Water Deal of the Year.

Editor’s notes:

• Learn more here about Black & Veatch’s desalination and water reuse capabilities.
• The Global Water Awards were established in 2006 by Global Water Intelligence, a leading news and thought leadership publication covering the water industry.
• The Orange County Groundwater Replenishment Initial Expansion boosted the system’s capacity from 70 million gallons per day to 100 million gallons per day.
• On the Claude “Bud” Lews Carlsbad Desalination Plant, Black & Veatch helped to resolve funding, technical and permitting issues on the project, which brings 54 million gallons per day of desalinated seawater to drought-impacted Southern California.
• PUB’s Changi NEWater II project will create potable quality water from polished secondary treated municipal wastewater. As owner’s engineer, Black & Veatch worked with PUB to help seal the contract with Beijing Enterprise Water Group.

About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building critical human infrastructure in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2015 were US$3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and in social media.

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