Leading global management and engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald and sustainable development, has acquired AWT, a specialist water technology and consulting company based in New Zealand and Australia.
The acquisition is part of UK- headquartered Mott MacDonald’s business strategy to broaden the services the company offers in the Australasia region.
AWT has provided science and engineering based services across the water sector for over 20 years. Employing around 50 engineers and scientists in its offices in Auckland and Melbourne, the company provides technical solutions spanning the entire project cycle.
These include collection, conveyance, treatment, reuse and residuals incorporating water, wastewater (industrial and municipal) and storm water. Core services include network monitoring, project planning and management, modelling, design, commissioning and optimisation.
The company recently supported the expansion of the Rotorua treatment plant and applied membrane bioreactor technology to meet New Zealand’s tightest nutrient limits from a wastewater discharge. The company has also implemented a new NZ$20 million membrane water treatment plant for Taupo to remove arsenic from the source water.
AWT has also developed the H2Knowhow middleware data management platform which is now being used by several water utilities across the region. In Christchurch City it has been adopted to provide network monitoring data and analysis to assist with the rebuild of underground water assets.
Mott MacDonald has worked in New Zealand and Australia for over 40 years. The consultancy is currently providing station design, fire and life safety, operations, rail systems and pedestrian modelling for the Auckland City Rail Link and was technical advisor for the NZ$4-5 billion additional Waitemata Harbour Crossing combined tunnel feasibility study.
In Australia, Mott MacDonald’s early portfolio includes involvement in strategic infrastructure projects like the Sydney Harbour tunnel and Sydney Water's MacArthur water filtration plant. In the water sector the company has provided concept design, specifications and contract management of the Adelaide desalination project for SA Water. This includes a 300ML/d sea-water reverse osmosis plant and 14km transmission pipeline.
Mott MacDonald’s chairman Keith Howells commented:
“AWT adds a strong water capability to our existing New Zealand business in buildings and transport as part of our strategy to build a multi-sector business. It strengthens our water expertise in Australia and throughout the region. AWT’s specialist focus on the science and technology of water also enhances Mott MacDonald’s technical edge for the benefit of projects worldwide.”
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