June’s top stories: IBM harnesses big data, NWC plans $13.3bn investment

Thames Water selects Bentley’s ProjectWise software for Thames Tideway Tunnel project

Thames Water has selected Bentley Systems’ ProjectWise software to provide engineering content management for its $6.1bn Thames Tideway Tunnel project in the UK.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel project is designed to improve the water quality of the tidal River Thames, which is polluted by sewage discharges from London’s Victorian-era sewer system.

The ProjectWise system is a software collaboration of servers and services for the architecture, engineering, construction and operations (AECO) information in the design and construction of infrastructure projects.

IBM uses big data for flood control and water management project in the Netherlands

IBM has launched Digital Delta, a project that will use insights from big data to better manage flood control and water systems in the Netherlands.

The programme has been initiated in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry for Water (Rijkswaterstaat), local water authority Delfland, Deltares Science Institute and the University of Delft.

The solution will include precipitation measurements, water level and water quality monitors, levee sensors, radar data, model predictions, as well as current and historic maintenance data from sluices, pumping stations, locks and dams.

Royal HaskoningDHV and Vitens to develop water distribution system for Mozambique city

Royal HaskoningDHV and international water utilities company Vitens Evides International (VEI) have together been selected to build a new water distribution system for Mozambique’s capital city, northern Maputo.

The distribution system will be developed as part of the Corumana Water Supply System, a $130m World Bank funded project in the country. Safe drinking water will be supplied to 550,000 residents and 20,000 households in the city.

Fundo de Investimento e Patrimonio do Asbestecimento de Agua of Mozambique (FIPAG) has commissioned the Royal HaskoningDHV led consortium to implement all the services required for the development phase of the project.

EMCOR subsidiary to build reverse osmosis water treatment plant in US city

US-based EMCOR Group’s subsidiary Poole & Kent has won a contract to build and install a reverse osmosis water treatment plant in the city of Clearwater, Florida.

The company will be responsible for all aspects of constructing a 6.5 million gallon per day reverse osmosis membrane water treatment facility.

The construction of the facility will also include building an ozone treatment system and iron treatment system to transform brackish water into fresh potable water.

National Water Company to invest $13.3bn in water and wastewater infrastructure in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s state-owned National Water Company (NWC) has announced plans to invest SAR50bn ($13.3bn) to expand water and wastewater infrastructure in the country.

The investment has been put in place to improve and expand the coverage of water services across major Saudi cities.

NWC currently manages water services in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Taif, which together have a population of 10.6 million people.

World Bank approves funds for sanitation and water supply project in Ghana

The World Bank (WB) has approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant of $155m to support the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project in Ghana.

The first $5m IDA grant will support the Natural Resources and Environmental Governance project with technical assistance.

Under the fund, the project has been designed to provide technical assistance to help improve the capacity of government agencies to plan, manage and use natural resources in selected sectors more effectively and sustainably.

EPA suggests $384bn investment to improve drinking water infrastructure in US

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) belives the country needs to invest around $384bn in its drinking water infrastructure through to 2030 in order to provide potable water to its residents.

In its fifth ‘Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment’ report, the EPA has identified that over the next two decades the country will have to invest in water distribution, treatment, storage, and network infrastructure to improve water supply, public health, and economy.

The investment would be made to address the needs of 73,400 water systems across the US, as well as American Indian and Alaska Native Village water systems.

Thames Water selects Veolia JV to upgrade water, wastewater infrastructure in UK

UK-based water and wastewater services company Thames Water has selected a joint venture (JV) of Veolia Water, Costain and Atkins to upgrade the water and wastewater networks and treatment facilities across London and the Thames Valley.

In order to upgrade the water infrastructure, Thames Water formed an alliance with four partners, two of which are JVs, including Veolia Water, Costain and Atkins.

Under the £3bn ($4.5bn) contract, which is believed to be the largest capex management contract in the water sector in Europe, the JV will perform vital upgrades to the water infrastructure.