Water

Protecting communities, industries and the environment, and providing them with the water resources they need to thrive

An aerial photograph captured at the beautiful Sea Cliff Bridge located in Clifton, New South Wales

Addressing challenges like climate change, water scarcity, aging infrastructure and emerging contaminants, managing this essential resource has never been more complex. 

Our expertise across the water cycle provides our clients with comprehensive water solutions – from water supplies and treatment, to flood resilience, water resource recovery, reuse and conveyance – we protect communities, industries and the environment, giving them sustainable water resources to thrive.​

At Jacobs, our planners, engineers and scientists work with our clients every day to solve their water challenges with customized, innovative solutions and new ways of thinking. We recognize that water challenges are complex and interconnected, and that the old ways of managing the water cycle in silos cannot keep pace with the issues we all face. Our approach is through a OneWater lens – viewing all water as resource and developing integrated, holistic solutions that provide comprehensive benefits.

Our OneWater approach is supported by our industry-leading capabilities across the entire water cycle and project lifecycle – from planning and consulting to design-build and operations. Our complete technical expertise includes drinking water & reuse, wastewater, water conveyance & storage, water resources and digital solutions.

  • # 1

    in Sewer & Waste, Sanitary & Storm Systems, Wastewater Treatment Plants, Water Transmission Lines (Engineering News-Record)

  • 9 K+

    visionary water teammates globally

  • 2015

    awarded Stockholm Industry Award for potable reuse and public acceptance

What we do

Our OneWater approach is supported by our industry-leading capabilities across the entire water cycle and project lifecycle – from planning and consulting to design-build and operations across the following solution areas:

  • Solutions_DrinkingWater&Reuse

    Drinking Water & Reuse

    Whether it’s designing an advanced water treatment facility or implementing an innovative potable water reuse program or a brackish or seawater desalination plant, we’re not just treating water, we’re giving communities, industries and regions the resource they need to flourish and expand.

  • Solutions_WaterConveyance

    Water Conveyance & Storage

    From the conveyance and storage of treated and raw water to the collection of wastewater, reclaimed water and stormwater, Jacobs provides a variety of urban conveyance and storage solutions for projects of all sizes, incorporating sustainability and adapting to changing environmental conditions in every project.

  • Solutions_Wastewater

    Water Resource Recovery

    While we didn’t invent today’s modern sewerage systems, we understand that all water – even wastewater – is a precious resource and not something we should simply dispose of; and therefore, we take the total water cycle into consideration when engineering solutions and developing cutting-edge technologies to collect, reclaim and reuse wastewater.

  • Solutions_Resources

    Water Resources

    As our world struggles with balancing water availability and demands, water pollution, competition for limited water resources and vulnerability to natural hazards, Jacobs works with clients around the globe to better manage our world’s water resources and make our water systems more resilient to climate change – because we believe it’s important that communities have safe, reliable water infrastructure now and in the future.

OneWater

OneWater is an integrated and collaborative approach to understanding and solving complex water challenges — not only those that we face today, but also those we will face tomorrow. We look beyond traditional labels – drinking water, seawater, wastewater, stormwater – to view all water as a valuable and interconnected resource. We take a holistic view of the water cycle to break down water management silos and facilitate collaboration between different stakeholders, enabling complex regional and watershed solutions like water reuse and integrated catchment management.

Our OneWater approach is guided by three principles:

  • water drop with top left 1/3 colored dark blue
    All water has value

    We look at the water cycle holistically to discover what makes each watershed, each community and each water-related challenge unique.

  • Water drop with middle section colored light blue
    Water challenges are interconnected

    We recognize water’s connections to land, food and energy to solve complex water management and community challenges, not only those we face today, but also those we will face tomorrow.

  • water drop with bottom right section colored green
    Water solutions must be sustainable, inclusive and equitable

    We focus on inclusive planning, considering the needs of all those who influence or are influenced by water, and prioritizing solutions that benefit people, the environment and the economy.

How do OneWater approaches benefit your community?

  • Maximizing investments by implementing solutions that address multiple interconnected challenges and provide meaningful co-benefits.
  • Engaging the full range of community stakeholders, including customers, businesses and public officials, to find opportunities for successful partnerships and promote local workforce development and social equity.
  • Identifying future actions and investments focused on climate adaptation and resilience, including tackling water scarcity and urban flooding with integrated water management practices.
  • Incorporating Jacobs’ domain-driven innovation and technology, including Digital OneWater — our ecosystem of integrated data-enabled solutions.
  • Recognizing the circularity of local economies and repurposing traditional waste as a valued resource (such as using biosolids to produce energy, using reclaimed water to augment potable water supplies, or integrating stormwater in functional landscapes.)
  • Consolidating plans, policies and ordinances that benefit multiple utility services while supporting economic growth and redevelopment.

Explore our projects

Jacobs delivers tailored solutions worldwide. Our global portfolio of projects has supported clients with addressing dynamic issues like aging infrastructure, impacts from climate change, water scarcity, flooding and affordability. The solutions we develop in collaboration with our clients provide communities with the foundations they need to flourish and grow.

Explore our digital products

Tools that transform big data into actionable information. 

  • AquaDNA
    Aqua DNA

    Aqua DNA, an intelligent digital solution that collects live data and improves wastewater network performance using smart sensors and AI-powered predictive analytics to reduce risk and make a positive societal and environmental impact. 

  • Replica logo
    Replica

    Replica is Jacobs' digital twin solution software platform, delivering intelligent solutions for our customers around the world for more than 20 years.

  • Dragonfly symbol
    Dragonfly

    Dragonfly efficiently provides the accurate data and AI-driven recommendations your team needs to optimize decision-making and refine your system management and intervention strategies.

  • Abstract symbol - blue square with white wave across the square
    Flood Modeller

    Flood Modeller is an industry-leading flood modeling software which enables engineers and scientists to deliver faster and more accurate results by simplifying the modelling of river, surface water, and urban drainage systems, and removes the need to use other software.

  • Intelligent O&M logo
    Intelligent O&M

    Intelligent O&M is a powerful blending of Jacobs’ water subject matter expertise in operations, design and data science, with Palantir’s Foundry platform and user interface, to provide direct and predictive guidance to frontline operation and management (O&M) staff.   

  • Argon
    Argon

    Argon is an asset management tool for linear sewer and storm water assets that helps utilities manage field data and determine next steps. Argon has been refined with engineering logic and AI to provide accurate condition scores, risk scores, recommended next steps and costs.

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Jacobs is at the forefront of the water sector’s digital transformation. Learn how we’re supporting our clients with integrated data solutions across the entire water cycle.    

Explore our Digital OneWater solutions

Meet some of our team

Read more about the talent who make it happen every day.

Read our latest news

From new project wins and milestones to reports, podcasts and industry insights, discover what we’re up to.

In the kNOW webinars

From our newsroom

Our insights

  • Water For Life

    Water for Life: Why Valuing Water in All its Forms is Key to Thriving and Resilient Communities

    Water for Life: Why valuing water in all its forms is key to thriving and resilient communities explores why the water system must consider water in all its forms – and the economic, social and environmental systems that depend on it – to better navigate the increased pressures of climate change and rapid urbanization and enhance resilience in our communities.

  • Best Practices for Identifying Galvanized Service Lines Requiring Replacement

    Lead in Drinking Water: Identifying Galvanized Services Lines Requiring Replacement

    We’ve co-authored a white paper with BlueConduit discussing best practices for identifying galvanized services lines that require replacement under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR).

  • Enhanced identification and location of network leak detection identified by vibration sensors integrated into Digital Meters

    Leak Detection Technology Reduces Non-revenue Water Losses and Improves Network Health

    Discover how South East Water effectively utilized Sotto® network leak detection sensors and Jacobs' analysis to create a sustainable future.