MWH Global
Encyclopedia
MWH Global is a global Wet Infrastructure
firm, providing technical engineering, construction services and consulting solutions to protect, enhance, store and distribute water. The firm has provided planning, design and construction management services for a wide range of water resources projects around the world. Work also includes thousands of water quality evaluations and studies. The firm is headquartered in Broomfield
, a suburb of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States
with operations in 34 countries. As of December 2009, MWH Global had a global staff of more than 7,000 employees, including builders, engineers, architects, geologists, operators, project managers, business consultants, scientists, technologists, and regulatory experts. MWH is listed as #364 of America's Largest Private Companies by Forbes (2008).
in 1945 by James M. Montgomery following his work on the design (1936) and commencement (1941) of the 100-million gallon per day F. E. Weymouth Memorial Water Softening and Filtration Plant at La Verne, California
for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
while with the firm Hoover and Montgomery. JMM merged with Watson Hawksley, Ltd., of High Wycombe
, United Kingdom, in 1990, combining JMM's specialization in water and wastewater engineering with Watson Hawksley's international operation, to become the global firm of Montgomery Watson. In 2001, Montgomery Watson merged with Harza Engineering Company, of Chicago, Illinois, best known for its work in the energy and environmental sectors and hydroelectric power development including the El Cajón Dam
in Honduras (officially known as Central Hidroeléctrica Francisco Morazán), and operated under the new name of Montgomery Watson Harza. In 2003, the firm name was shortened to MWH.
Water and Wastewater
As one of the world’s largest water resource engineering firms, MWH provides planning, design and construction management services for water resources projects around the world. They work to help municipalities, utilities, governments, and industries find solutions to protect, conserve, store and distribute water in the face of rapid growth and increasingly serious threats from droughts and floods. MWH has conducted thousands of investigations, water quality evaluations and basin management studies, including the recent planning, engineering and management resources for Dubai’s Jebel Ali
Sewage Treatment Plant.
Hydropower and Renewable Energy
MWH is a specialist in the hydropower industry, improving efficiencies of existing structures and constructing some of the world’s largest dams, pumped-storage schemes and power transmission systems. MWH also designs and develops other renewable energy infrastructure including biomass
, solar energy, and wind energy
facilities. In the Republic of Ireland, MWH is providing engineering services for a renewable energy-from-waste plant near Dublin. The plant will convert municipal solid waste into power, meeting the energy needs of approximately 35,000 homes. MWH’s responsibilities include process design and 3D layout integration for all process facilities and detailed design of the steam cycle and power island.
MWH led a joint-venture with Energoprojekt Co. Ltd. to complete the $350 million Tekeze Dam
Hydropower Project in northern Ethiopia. The government-funded project – and tallest dam in Africa at 188 meters-high – is expected to provide a reliable, renewable source of power for the country that has been forced to impose regular blackouts for its 80 million residents due to energy shortages.
In Venezuela, MWH has provided engineering, design and construction management support for the Guri Dam
hydroelectric development project for 50 years. Located on the Caroni River in Venezuela, the project has been developed in stages to match electrical demand growth. The dam was raised in the early 1980s, and has a combined capacity of 20 units that exceeds 10,000 MW. MWH designed the original project and has been providing continuous engineering services since the 1950s.
In California, MWH conducted feasibility studies and provided permitting, design and construction management services for a 1-megawatt solar photovoltaic array at the Robert A. Skinner Water Treatment plant near Los Angeles. The solar power generation facility will help offset the energy the plant uses and reduce the plant’s electric bill.
Ports & Waterways
MWH designs, manages, builds, rehabilitates and expands marine projects around the world, including ports, locks, canals, channels, sea outfalls, coastal facilities, and shoreline protection offering a full range of services related to hydraulic engineering; construction management; design and rehabilitation of navigation locks, dams and navigational channels; and management of dredging operations as well as transportation-related infrastructure projects such as highways, bridges, mass transit and airports.
With partner, Keppel Seghers, MWH is overseeing construction of an innovative mechanical dewatering plant at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. Scheduled for completion in October 2010, the plant will treat 2.6 million m³ of port sediment a year (600,000 tons dry matter), and will allow the Port of Antwerp
, one of Europe’s main cargo gateways, to remain open and safe for large vessels. The project is considered one of the largest and most innovative sediment treatment projects in the world.
Environment
MWH offers a range of environmental services, including environmental management systems, water-quality improvement, environmental restoration, productive reuse, strategic environmental resource planning, solid/hazardous waste management, chemical/soil remediation, energy and greenhouse gas emissions management, and enhancement and rehabilitation of river basins, streams and reservoirs, delivering some of the largest and most innovative environmental projects in the world. In the mining and landfill industries, MWH supplies expertise in areas such as water supply, characterization studies, surface water and pit lakes.
In the United Kingdom, MWH was called upon to deliver an assessment of utilities and infrastructure (including water, wastewater, electricity, gas and digital) needed to meet the rapid growth of the Manchester Corridor. The project has used a range of innovative solutions, including renewable energy and local generation, to meet future growth needs, while improving efficiency, reducing costs and significantly reducing the area’s carbon footprint.
In Queensland, Australia, MWH helped provide a water conservation plan for the Pimpama, Queensland
Coomera Waterfuture Master Plan. The plan includes a recycled water treatment plant that uses eight percent less energy than typical plants.
Industrial Sustainability
MWH creates customized sustainability programs focused on reducing fuel and power costs, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, using water responsibly, or ensuring a safe facility closure. In the United Kingdom, MWH has developed a framework for assessing the embodied carbon and whole life carbon emissions associated with new capital investment in the UK water industry. The project is one of a suite of projects commissioned by UK Water Industry Research to provide carbon guidance for the industry.
’s Global Sourcebook Issue, December 28, 2009. Among the rankings: #1 Top 10 in Water Supply; #1 Top 10 in Wastewater Treatment; #1 Top 10 in Sewerage and Solid Waste; #3 Top 10 in Hydroplants; #29 Top 200 International Design Firms; and #33 Top 150 Global Design Firms.
New Civil Engineer
ranked MWH as part of its Top Global Firms Consultants File (March 2010). Among the rankings: #1 Water; #4 Waste; and #9 Power.
MWH was awarded two Environmental Business Journal Achievement Awards in 2009, recognizing its carbon offset verification work at Washington State’s Rocky Reach Dam
Hydroelectric Facility in the C&E Firms: New Practice Areas category, as well as its design and construction management services for the Durham Influent Pump Station in Tigard, Oregon, the first LEED certified pump station in the U.S., in the Project Merit, Sustainability and Resource Protection category.
Wet Infrastructure
Wet Infrastructure is a term used to describe a variety of water-related projects relating to water supply, treatment and storage, water resource management, flood management, coastal restoration, hydropower and renewable energy facilities...
firm, providing technical engineering, construction services and consulting solutions to protect, enhance, store and distribute water. The firm has provided planning, design and construction management services for a wide range of water resources projects around the world. Work also includes thousands of water quality evaluations and studies. The firm is headquartered in Broomfield
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
, a suburb of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with operations in 34 countries. As of December 2009, MWH Global had a global staff of more than 7,000 employees, including builders, engineers, architects, geologists, operators, project managers, business consultants, scientists, technologists, and regulatory experts. MWH is listed as #364 of America's Largest Private Companies by Forbes (2008).
History
MWH Global is the unification of three major engineering firms: James M. Montgomery Consulting Engineers (JMM), Watson Hawksley, Ltd., and Harza Engineering Company. JMM was founded in PasadenaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
in 1945 by James M. Montgomery following his work on the design (1936) and commencement (1941) of the 100-million gallon per day F. E. Weymouth Memorial Water Softening and Filtration Plant at La Verne, California
La Verne, California
La Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,063 at the 2010 census, down from 31,638 at the 2000 census.-History:...
for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the largest supplier of treated water in the US. The name is usually shortened to the "Metropolitan Water District" or simply "MWD". It is a cooperative of 14 cities and 12 municipal water districts that indirectly provides water to 18...
while with the firm Hoover and Montgomery. JMM merged with Watson Hawksley, Ltd., of High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, United Kingdom, in 1990, combining JMM's specialization in water and wastewater engineering with Watson Hawksley's international operation, to become the global firm of Montgomery Watson. In 2001, Montgomery Watson merged with Harza Engineering Company, of Chicago, Illinois, best known for its work in the energy and environmental sectors and hydroelectric power development including the El Cajón Dam
El Cajón Dam (Honduras)
The El Cajón Dam, officially known as Central Hidroeléctrica Francisco Morazán, is a hydroelectric power plant located in Western Honduras. The dam impounds the Comayagua river which derives its large volume from two large tributaries, Humuya and Sulaco...
in Honduras (officially known as Central Hidroeléctrica Francisco Morazán), and operated under the new name of Montgomery Watson Harza. In 2003, the firm name was shortened to MWH.
Services
MWH specializes in all aspects of wet infrastructure including water and wastewater networks; hydropower and renewable energy; ports and waterways; environmental services, and industrial sustainability.Water and Wastewater
As one of the world’s largest water resource engineering firms, MWH provides planning, design and construction management services for water resources projects around the world. They work to help municipalities, utilities, governments, and industries find solutions to protect, conserve, store and distribute water in the face of rapid growth and increasingly serious threats from droughts and floods. MWH has conducted thousands of investigations, water quality evaluations and basin management studies, including the recent planning, engineering and management resources for Dubai’s Jebel Ali
Jebel Ali
Jebel Ali is a port town, located 35 kilometres southwest of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates . The village has a thriving expatriate community with over 300 residents. The area is also home to "5,500 companies from 120 countries"....
Sewage Treatment Plant.
Hydropower and Renewable Energy
MWH is a specialist in the hydropower industry, improving efficiencies of existing structures and constructing some of the world’s largest dams, pumped-storage schemes and power transmission systems. MWH also designs and develops other renewable energy infrastructure including biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
, solar energy, and wind energy
Wind energy
Wind energy is the kinetic energy of air in motion; see also wind power.Total wind energy flowing through an imaginary area A during the time t is:E = ½ m v2 = ½ v 2...
facilities. In the Republic of Ireland, MWH is providing engineering services for a renewable energy-from-waste plant near Dublin. The plant will convert municipal solid waste into power, meeting the energy needs of approximately 35,000 homes. MWH’s responsibilities include process design and 3D layout integration for all process facilities and detailed design of the steam cycle and power island.
MWH led a joint-venture with Energoprojekt Co. Ltd. to complete the $350 million Tekeze Dam
Tekezé Dam
Tekezé Dam is a double-curvature arch dam in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on the Tekezé River, a Nile tributary that flows through one of the deepest canyons in the world. At the time of completion, the high dam is said to be Africa's largest arch dam. The dam consists of four...
Hydropower Project in northern Ethiopia. The government-funded project – and tallest dam in Africa at 188 meters-high – is expected to provide a reliable, renewable source of power for the country that has been forced to impose regular blackouts for its 80 million residents due to energy shortages.
In Venezuela, MWH has provided engineering, design and construction management support for the Guri Dam
Guri Dam
The Guri Dam is a concrete gravity and embankment dam in Bolívar State, Venezuela on the Caroni River. Its official name is Central Hidroeléctrica Simón Bolívar...
hydroelectric development project for 50 years. Located on the Caroni River in Venezuela, the project has been developed in stages to match electrical demand growth. The dam was raised in the early 1980s, and has a combined capacity of 20 units that exceeds 10,000 MW. MWH designed the original project and has been providing continuous engineering services since the 1950s.
In California, MWH conducted feasibility studies and provided permitting, design and construction management services for a 1-megawatt solar photovoltaic array at the Robert A. Skinner Water Treatment plant near Los Angeles. The solar power generation facility will help offset the energy the plant uses and reduce the plant’s electric bill.
Ports & Waterways
MWH designs, manages, builds, rehabilitates and expands marine projects around the world, including ports, locks, canals, channels, sea outfalls, coastal facilities, and shoreline protection offering a full range of services related to hydraulic engineering; construction management; design and rehabilitation of navigation locks, dams and navigational channels; and management of dredging operations as well as transportation-related infrastructure projects such as highways, bridges, mass transit and airports.
With partner, Keppel Seghers, MWH is overseeing construction of an innovative mechanical dewatering plant at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. Scheduled for completion in October 2010, the plant will treat 2.6 million m³ of port sediment a year (600,000 tons dry matter), and will allow the Port of Antwerp
Port of Antwerp
The port of Antwerp, in Belgium, is a port in the heart of Europe accessible to capesize ships. Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt. The estuary is navigable by ships of more than 100,000 Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. The inland location means that the port...
, one of Europe’s main cargo gateways, to remain open and safe for large vessels. The project is considered one of the largest and most innovative sediment treatment projects in the world.
Environment
MWH offers a range of environmental services, including environmental management systems, water-quality improvement, environmental restoration, productive reuse, strategic environmental resource planning, solid/hazardous waste management, chemical/soil remediation, energy and greenhouse gas emissions management, and enhancement and rehabilitation of river basins, streams and reservoirs, delivering some of the largest and most innovative environmental projects in the world. In the mining and landfill industries, MWH supplies expertise in areas such as water supply, characterization studies, surface water and pit lakes.
In the United Kingdom, MWH was called upon to deliver an assessment of utilities and infrastructure (including water, wastewater, electricity, gas and digital) needed to meet the rapid growth of the Manchester Corridor. The project has used a range of innovative solutions, including renewable energy and local generation, to meet future growth needs, while improving efficiency, reducing costs and significantly reducing the area’s carbon footprint.
In Queensland, Australia, MWH helped provide a water conservation plan for the Pimpama, Queensland
Pimpama, Queensland
Pimpama is a suburb in the northern Gold Coast. It is located on the Pacific Motorway 30 km north of Surfers Paradise. The township of Pimpama is presently the last remaining rural town on the Pacific Motorway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast...
Coomera Waterfuture Master Plan. The plan includes a recycled water treatment plant that uses eight percent less energy than typical plants.
Industrial Sustainability
MWH creates customized sustainability programs focused on reducing fuel and power costs, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, using water responsibly, or ensuring a safe facility closure. In the United Kingdom, MWH has developed a framework for assessing the embodied carbon and whole life carbon emissions associated with new capital investment in the UK water industry. The project is one of a suite of projects commissioned by UK Water Industry Research to provide carbon guidance for the industry.
Awards and honors
MWH ranked in Engineering News-RecordEngineering News-Record
Engineering News-Record is a weekly magazine that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry worldwide...
’s Global Sourcebook Issue, December 28, 2009. Among the rankings: #1 Top 10 in Water Supply; #1 Top 10 in Wastewater Treatment; #1 Top 10 in Sewerage and Solid Waste; #3 Top 10 in Hydroplants; #29 Top 200 International Design Firms; and #33 Top 150 Global Design Firms.
New Civil Engineer
New Civil Engineer
New Civil Engineer is the weekly magazine of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the UK chartered body that oversees the practice of civil engineering in the UK. It is published by EMAP who acquired the title and editorial control from the ICE in 1995...
ranked MWH as part of its Top Global Firms Consultants File (March 2010). Among the rankings: #1 Water; #4 Waste; and #9 Power.
MWH was awarded two Environmental Business Journal Achievement Awards in 2009, recognizing its carbon offset verification work at Washington State’s Rocky Reach Dam
Rocky Reach Dam
Rocky Reach Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the U.S. state of Washington. Chelan County Public Utility District's Rocky Reach Dam and Hydro Project is located in north central Washington state, USA on the Columbia River, about seven miles upstream from the city of Wenatchee...
Hydroelectric Facility in the C&E Firms: New Practice Areas category, as well as its design and construction management services for the Durham Influent Pump Station in Tigard, Oregon, the first LEED certified pump station in the U.S., in the Project Merit, Sustainability and Resource Protection category.