Water is essential for life. Arup understand the challenges and opportunities of ensuring that society takes care of this precious commodity in a way that is commensurate with its real value.
There are many urgent global requirements, including appropriate water supply and sanitation, flood risk management and creation and preservation of habitat for balanced communities. These may not always occur at the same time or place, but their inter-relationship needs careful consideration to promote sustainable societies.
The inter-relationship of water with other essential components of a sustainable society is equally important. Greater use of energy purely to improve water management is short-sighted – it is the integration of infrastructure provision which provides the exciting opportunities, not just technologically, but also economically and socially. This is the unique ability of Arup: to balance leading edge skills, not just in water engineering but also in integration of environment, social and economic understanding, in a way that offers the prospect of a truly sustainable future.
Climate Change and Water
Water scarcity, saline intrusion and drought, combined with rapid growth in demand, mean a real wake-up call for the world. Climate change necessitates better management of resources in all societies and emphasises the interdependence of issues such as food production, waste and energy. The impact of erratic weather patterns of drought and flooding has also placed new demands on water management. In consequence, planning and future-proofing new and existing cities and urban areas will need an integrated strategy and integrated services. Arup is well placed to meet this challenge.
During the recent drought, Gladstone, in Central Queensland, confronted both low dam levels and growth in demand from a booming industrial sector. The region's water board wanted to be ready to augment water supply within two years, if necessary. The board asked Arup to help to define and prepare work for a cost-efficient treatment and transfer system from the Fitzroy River. Assistance was also provided to understand and compare alternatives, especially desalination.
At Lake Mead, Las Vegas, Arup is helping to meet the need for a clean and regular water supply. The firm is designing a new intake tunnel that will safeguard future water quality and supply amid declining lake levels caused by drought. This project is vital to the reliability of the community water supply for more than 25 million people in seven states.
At Plaszow in Poland, Arup has been responsible for a wastewater treatment work covering a site of more than 1km². It is the new treatment works for the whole of Krakow, serving a population of 780,000 and treating sewage to high European Union consent standards. The scheme is "one of the most advanced waste water treatment works in Eastern Europe". (Global Water Intelligence)
Arup was commissioned by the Hong Kong Government to carry out an assignment to investigate, design and construct the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS 2A), one of the largest wastewater treatment works in the world.
In the UK, Arup has worked with Yorkshire Water on its Capital Programme over three regulatory periods, with particular emphasis on compliance, capital efficiency and operational efficiency.
The value of water
Over one billion people struggle every day to find enough clean water on which to live. Arup is helping clients and communities to address issues such as poor sanitation and a lack of reliable water sources through work with WaterAid and organisations such as the Environment Agency.