Jacobs (NYSE: J) was selected by Water Corporation, the largest water utility in Western Australia, to design, build, operate and maintain the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant in Perth, Australia. The project, part of an alliance with Water Corporation and ACCIONA, is expected to produce 13 billion gallons (50 billion liters) of drinking water per year, scalable up to 26 billion gallons (100 billion liters) under a future project.

Part of an overall program by Water Corporation estimated at approximately $1.83 billion (AUS $2.8 billion), the plant will secure a climate-independent, sustainable water supply to more than 2.5 million Western Australians.

"This appointment strengthens our long-standing relationship with Water Corporation, delivering significant water and wastewater projects in the state," said Jacobs Senior Vice President Keith Lawson. "Furthermore, it recognizes Jacobs' global water capabilities, desalination experience and project delivery capability."

In addition to the desalination facility, the project incorporates a 2.5 mile (4.1 kilometer) offshore outfall tunnel and 1.6 mile (2.6 kilometer) clean, seawater intake tunnel. Both tunnels are approximately 11.3 feet (3.45 meters) inside diameter and will be constructed beneath the seabed using tunnel boring machines.

Jacobs has been at the forefront of innovative desalination plant design, delivery and maintenance for decades, delivering the early-phase concepts for the Alkimos site. This follows Jacobs' roles as the designer of the Sydney Desalination Plant, Gold Coast Desalination Plants, and key roles in many more desalination facilities around the globe including Carlsbad in California and Tuas 3 in Singapore. Consistently ranking in water treatment and desalination on Engineering News Record's list of top design firms, Jacobs leads the way in delivering solutions to water scarcity driven by climate change and a growing population. 

taken from press release