City of San Diego Selects Program Manager Team for Pure Water San Diego

BROOMFIELD, Colo. (March 5, 2015) – MWH Global, an engineering, consulting and construction firm focused on water and natural resources, has announced it was awarded a contract by the City of San Diego to manage and assist in the delivery of Pure Water San Diego. In partnership with Brown and Caldwell, the initial five-year, $30 million MWH contract includes program management services to move the program from planning into implementation. Pure Water San Diego is an approximately $2.7 billion program to provide a safe, reliable and cost-effective drinking water supply for San Diego. Using proven technology to purify recycled water, the environmentally-friendly program will make San Diego more water independent and resilient against drought, climate change and natural disasters. “Pure Water San Diego is needed to secure a long-term, reliable water supply for the city,” said Halla Razak, City of San Diego Public Utilities Department director. “We look forward to working closely with the team on the implementation of this very critical program.” As part of the contract, which began in January 2015, the MWH and Brown and Caldwell team will provide strategic planning, project delivery, program controls, pre-design of conveyance and treatment facilities, design oversight/management, pilot testing of proposed technologies, regulatory permitting, outreach and public education, quality management and risk mitigation services. The program includes an initial 15-million gallon per day water purification facility, which is planned to be in operation by 2023. The long-term goal of producing 83 million gallons per day of purified water, one third of San Diego's future drinking water supply, is planned to be reached by 2035. In addition, Pure Water San Diego will also greatly reduce the volume of treated wastewater discharged to the ocean. “The City of San Diego is an innovative and forward-thinking community. This program is vital to building a sustainable water supply in the region and we are proud to work with the city on this cutting edge program,” said Julie L. Labonte, vice president and Pure Water program manager at MWH. MWH Global specializes in water and natural resources, and MWH employees use innovative ideas and technology to help solve complex infrastructure and environmental challenges.