bnr-wsp-water-supply-and-distribution
  1. WSP
  2. What We Do
  4. Water Supply and Distribution

Water Supply and Distribution

Infrastructure owners face a variety of challenges. Population growth coupled with urbanization is creating new concentrated demands for increased water supplies, necessitating the use of water sources that are harder to treat and/or are located further away from population centers. This often requires the addition of new infrastructure to existing systems, rendering water supply and distribution systems more complex. Additionally, many older cities face severe issues with maintenance of aging water assets.

WSP can assist with all aspect of water supply, treatment, storage and distribution, providing water research, evaluations and economic planning and design of supply and distribution networks. We partner with clients, stakeholders and regulatory agencies to deliver integrated advisory and engineering services, as well as permitting support on complex water projects across the U.S.

Water Supply

The world’s water supplies draw from multiple sources including groundwater, surface water, brackish and saline water. WSP offers comprehensive services for the evaluation, development and management of water supply. We advise governments and regulatory bodies on policies for the regulation and protection of water resources, and provide value-added solutions to critical issues surrounding agricultural water demand, related infrastructure asset development and long-term asset management.

 

Groundwater

Groundwater is an important natural resource that provides a secure and often highly reliable source of water supply for rural and urban communities, manufacturing and industry sectors. Sustainable groundwater development involves identification of suitable aquifers; locating, designing, constructing, monitoring and operating well fields; and designing water resource management systems to minimize impacts to other legal users and the environment. Our highly experienced staff provides practical, cost-effective services in groundwater quality, resource protection, aquifer recharge, dewatering system design, sediment modelling and control, planning studies for plant water supply, regulatory compliance, licensing, and management controls.

Brackish and Saline Desalination

WSP’s experts have a clear understanding of the environmental issues involved in desalination projects. We have provided design, peer reviews and construction management of multistage flash, multiple effect distillation and reverse osmosis systems, and 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 also works with clients to explore public and private markets to determine the best available funding source for desalination projects.

Water Distribution

As distribution systems comprise the majority of physical water infrastructure and components, for many they are considered the biggest water problem facing countries, municipalities and utilities. Their management comprises operational and public health challenges, intensified by events that can compromise their physical, hydraulic and water quality integrity. WSP always looks at the bigger picture. In addition to providing complete planning and design of distribution systems, we use calibrations and hydraulic simulations to improve resilience, assess risk of asset failure and service interruption, and for optimal planning and management of preventive maintenance. WSP also leverages advanced modelling tools to identify deficiencies in pipe segments; predict performance under normal, peak and emergency conditions; and recommend upgrades.