Water Treatment and Desalination

Major water shortages are being encountered around the world in both developed and developing nations. Desalination offers a reliable source of water supply that is not climate-dependent. As a result, many utility providers and organisations are turning to desalination to improve the security of their water supply and to avoid major social and economic disruption.

GHD has worked on significant desalination projects in Australia, the USA, Mexico, Africa and the Middle East with plant capacities of up to 570ML per day.

Our team provides comprehensive services covering the desalination of saline water sources such as sea, estuarine and brackish water for municipal and industrial applications. Our connected global network of professionals offers a multidisciplinary approach to deliver cost-effective and innovative solutions that harness the latest advances in desalination technologies.

The effective delivery of desalinated water is much more than just technology. GHD's services cover technology and site selection, including environmental impact assessment, as well as infrastructure planning and design. Energy recovery and sustainability are also key focus areas for our desalination projects.

GHD also undertakes water quality assessments, pilot studies, hydrodynamic modelling for intakes and outfalls, pre- and post-treatment requirements, community engagement, environmental management, design-life assessments, procurement and owner's engineer services.

Water catchments around the world are increasingly under stress; while emerging risks are constantly being identified. Utilities have to meet community expectations for safe and reliable supplies as well as strict regulatory requirements, at the same time as prioritising scarce resources.

GHD understands the issues and drivers for utilities tasked with providing wholesome drinking water to their communities, cost-effectively and safely.

We are leaders in the field of drinking water quality risk assessment and management. Our holistic approach to drinking water quality from catchment to tap allows a utility to produce safe drinking water while achieving efficiencies and optimising expenditure.

Water treatment plants are often identified as the critical barrier for a range of contaminants (e.g. algae, algal toxin, pesticides, Cryptosporidium, bacteria and viruses). GHD can assist with optimisation, augmentation, trouble-shooting and modernisation services to ensure plants continue to supply the volume and quality of drinking water communities demand.