News and updates

Explore the latest announcements, press coverage and company updates showing the solutions we’re creating with clients, the positive difference we’re making in our communities and the value we’re delivering to shareholders. 

News

Protecting the Thames Estuary: Modeling to provide a reliable evidence base to safeguard millions of residents and billions in assets

The Thames Estuary is home to 1.51 million people and more than £400 ($546) billion-worth of assets that are at risk from tidal flooding. To address this challenge, Jacobs and JBA Consulting are leading the Thames Estuary 2100 Modelling Project for the Environment Agency — a key pillar of the Thames Estuary 2100 strategy. The project strengthens understanding of flood risk and provides the robust evidence base needed to guide smarter decisions that protect homes, safeguard critical infrastructure and support sustainable growth. By delivering trusted and unified insights for climate resilience, it’s helping to build a safer future for one of the principal development areas in southern England.
News

Jacobs’ data center digital twin featured in NVIDIA GTC keynote

During NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote presentation at the company’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC) on Monday, March 16, 2026, the founder and CEO highlighted Jacobs. The NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint and libraries now features a Jacobs Data Center Digital Twin solution that enables developers and owners to plan, simulate and optimize gigawatt-scale artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, known as AI factories, in a virtual environment – improving time to first revenue, efficient energy performance and resilient long-term operations.
News

Jacobs recognized for advancing climate resilience and environmental innovation

Jacobs has received five Environmental Business Journal and Climate Change Business Journal awards, recognizing[RK1.1] global leadership in climate resilience infrastructure, digital innovation, nature-based solutions and data-driven decarbonization, along with a lifetime achievement honor for industry leadership.
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Dublin Road team receiving award
News

Ohio ACEC recognizes Dublin Road Water Plant with Grand Award

Faced with potential regulatory exceedances, seasonal taste and odor issues, aging infrastructure and increasing water demands, the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities (DPU) contracted Jacobs to select treatment technologies that would meet drinking water regulations and increase overall water treatment plant reliability. The $285 million capital improvements project at the Columbus, Ohio Dublin Road Water Plant (DRWP) expanded the treatment capacity and added state-of-the-art treatment technologies (ozone, filtration with BAC and ion exchange) to meet U.S. drinking water regulations. The upgrades also provide DPU with increased reliability and barriers against future potential regulatory concerns. Extensive collaboration with DPU staff during planning, design and construction was essential to successful project completion. Completed in 2018, the DRWP improvements resulted in the largest nitrate removal ion exchange facility in the nation and the first ozone and biologically active filter treatment combination to be commissioned in Ohio. In recognition of project success and technical accomplishments, the Jacobs project team recently received the Grand Award at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Ohio’s 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards. Treatment capacity increase project has multiple objectives Increased treatment capacity; increased consumer safety; reduced operating costs; and reduced capital expenditures – these objectives all factored into the DRWP Treatment Capacity Increase Project, in addition to DPU’s wish to embrace sustainable design, construction and operations throughout the project. What would become one of the DPU’s largest infrastructure upgrade projects began in 2010, when the Jacobs project team led a blue-ribbon panel of Columbus staff and

Travis Air Force Base green remediation
News

How 1 of the industry’s most effective remediation approaches helps clients go green and sustainable

Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo; chips, queso and salsa – some things just work best together. Kind of like how the subgrade biogeochemical reactor (SBGR) technology creates the perfect confluence between sustainability, reduced cost and accelerated cleanup. For more than a decade, the SBGR technology developed by Jacobs has been used for sustainable and effective treatment of soil and groundwater contaminant source areas and groundwater hot spots. In fact, we developed several innovative SBGR approaches at Travis Air Force Base (AFB) in California – which supported Travis’ completion of the U.S. Department of Defense’s first American Society for Testing and Materials ( ASTM) International greener cleanups self-declaration – and currently, we have more than 30 SBGR projects in various stages of operation or development with federal and private clients. But what if we showed you how Jacobs’ research and development is leading an evolution of the bioremediation industry – designing, testing and implementing new SBGR configurations that are opening doors to new biology-based remediation approaches to sustainably accelerate treatment at some of the most difficult hazardous waste sites? 30+ active Jacobs’ SBGR projects in various stages of development or operation with federal and private clients 930 tons reduction of annual carbon dioxide production at Travis AFB through green and sustainable remediation techniques 200 cars = annual equivalent carbon emission reductions Over the past ~3.6 billion years of evolution, nature has solved some of the most complex problems on the planet. Many of the environmental remediation challenges we face

City of Calgary composting facility
News

How the City of Calgary is converting organic waste into sellable compost in just 60 days

A significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to global climate change, are the emissions resulting from the decomposition of organic waste in landfills. Organic materials, including waste that can be readily recycled or composted, account for a significant portion of the overall waste stream. Realizing that food waste and yard materials made up more than half of the residential waste stream for the City of Calgary, leadership embarked on constructing a sustainable method to manage this material, as well as dewatered biosolids generated from municipal wastewater treatment facilities. In 2010, the City retained Jacobs to develop a Waste Organic Materials and Biosolids Master Plan. Through this strategic project, we identified and evaluated technologies for processing Biosolids from Calgary’s wastewater treatment facilities, alternatives to landfilling for the management of organic materials and processing of the waste materials for reuse. But what if we showed you how Jacobs and the City met and exceeded these technology and business objectives for organic waste reduction, with the resulting City of Calgary Composting Facility? 46% reduction in city waste sent to landfill from single family homes 100K+ tons of source-separated organics processed – achieving a 10-year goal in just one year! We're very happy with the success of the Calgary Composting Facility after one year. The amount of organic waste that's come to the facility has exceeded expectations, so that's great news because it is more diverted from the landfill than we anticipated heading in. City of Calgary Former Organics Program Manager Waste

Recycling bins at the street
News

Calculating the greenhouse gas impacts of residential waste

Climate change is an issue that affects us all. Our use of energy and consumption of goods and services, directly and indirectly, accelerates the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) which cause additional heat to be trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. Businesses and communities across the globe are already experiencing disruptions from the resulting changes to seasonal and short-term weather patterns, and those impacts will get worse if substantial reductions to GHG emissions don’t happen soon. As a result, many state and local government agencies in the U.S. have set aggressive GHG reduction targets with the message that if policy changes don't happen in Washington D.C., they will happen at the local level. While these goals are admirable, we often find that numeric targets were set based on consistency with the aims of other agencies, and without a specific action plan. Consequently, staff are sometimes left wondering what is needed from different departments and sectors, and how to assess progress towards long range goals. The answers are not always obvious. One major U.S. west coast city is actively working to achieve goals for reduction of both the community-wide and municipal GHG footprint, with near-term interim targets and a long-range carbon neutrality goal. Among inter-related initiatives, the City wanted to better understand the consequences of possible alternatives for management of the solid waste generated by the community. To that end, Jacobs developed a "Residential Waste GHG Calculator" to provide City-specific system-wide comparisons of the lifecycle GHG impact of various solid waste management

Wastewater treatment facilities at sunset
News

Dynamic delivery: simulating Melbourne’s water future

Melbourne is on track to surpass Sydney as Australia’s largest city within the next decade, adding nearly 120,000 new residents in 2018 – some 327 people per day. As this population growth increases demand on water resources and systems, Melbourne Water – a Victorian Government authority – is tasked with managing and protecting Melbourne’s major water resources. Among the improvements being studied and proposed is an upgrade at one of the utility’s two large water treatment plants, Winneke Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to install an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system. Originally constructed in 1980, Winneke WTP now treats more than 40% of Melbourne’s total drinking water, sourcing water from Sugarloaf Reservoir. Sugarloaf Reservoir is unique because, unlike most other reservoirs that draw water from protected catchments, it’s fed from a local aqueduct and river. Because Sugarloaf is fed from open catchments, its water is treated to manage pathogen risk. To continue treating its water to the highest standards, Melbourne Water has completed early design of a UV disinfection system in anticipation of future of Health Based Targets – and they partnered with Jacobs to develop and design the system. Winneke WTP treats approximately 350 million liters of water every day for distribution to millions of homes and business throughout Melbourne. To make sure there’s always enough drinking water to meet demand, the plant varies its production flow rate throughout the day. Previously, the achieved filtrate flows would swing around the targeted flow rate, without closely following the setpoints. As a result

Hydrogen Paper Preview
News

Leveraging cross-sector knowledge to inform Australia’s pursuit of a large-scale hydrogen economy

With its potential to decarbonise a broad spectrum of industries, hydrogen as an alternative energy storage solution is currently receiving renewed attention, including from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Australia’s Chief Scientist. This resurgence is largely due to improvements in hydrogen production technologies and the declining cost of renewable energy, meaning that large-scale zero-emissions hydrogen production may be more viable now than ever before. With excellent renewable energy resources and proximity to large potential export markets in Asia, Australia is well positioned to become a leader in this emerging industry. However, despite the recent focus on hydrogen, industry conversations have largely neglected one critical issue; under the current electrolysis-based supply chain model, production may not be sustainable in the context of Australia’s climate and existing energy landscape. To be sustainable, this supply chain model requires both readily available renewable energy generation and a consistent supply of drinking water. Both requirements could be an impediment to sustainable hydrogen production in Australia. While renewable energy developments are increasing across the country, the country’s electricity grid is still largely dominated by coal-fired generation and the ability to use grid-purchased electricity generated from renewable sources for hydrogen production is limited. Moreover, in a country already facing increasing fears over future water security, the creation of a new industry that relies on drinking water could further exacerbate supply risks. To put this in perspective, if we looked to decarbonise some of Australia’s domestic industries by replacing the 39 million tonnes of

Rendering of Edinburgh Lothian Road
News

How Edinburgh is putting people at the heart of its city design

Edinburgh is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.K. and by 2040, will have a population of almost 600,000. Throughout its history, Edinburgh has been a city of innovation, heritage and change. The last 30 years have been no different. In the early 1980s it was a city with population in decline, facing a changing economy and significant social health challenges. In 2018, it’s a hugely successful city with tourism rates growing year on year and a heritage value sought after the world over. Edinburgh is also one of the fastest growing cities in the U.K. However, it’s clear that the quality of public realm in Edinburgh’s city center needs to match its potential as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With this vibrancy and growth come challenges. Whether it’s in increased inequality and pockets of severe deprivation, or greater pressure on city infrastructure and the environment, the city recognizes it needs to be agile in the face of change. The way people travel, shop, socialize, work and play are changing, reflecting global trends and new technologies – and most importantly the vision for a better quality of life for all. City growth will provide new jobs, homes and amenities but it must be carefully balanced to provide a high quality of life, access to services and opportunities for all residents, particularly communities living with inequality. Congestion and associated air pollution and health conditions, exacerbated by inactive lifestyles, are directly related to the kinds of places we create and

Sunset on the flood barriers on the River Thames
Press Release

Jacobs wins Global Water Awards for innovative, sustainable water work

DALLAS, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:JEC) has been recognized for its innovative, technical and sustainable achievements in the international water sector. The Green Meadows Water Treatment Plant in southwest, Florida, and the Tuas Desalination Plant in Singapore, both of which were under the engineering supervision of Jacobs, received the coveted Global Water Awards for Water Project of the Year and Desalination Plant of the Year, respectively. Jacobs was also honored with a distinction award for Water Company of the Year. Established in 2006 by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), the awards recognize the most important achievements in the international water industry over the previous year, rewarding initiatives and companies that are moving the industry forward. "We are humbled to be given the Award of Distinction for 2019 Global Water Company of the Year and owe this recognition to our clients who place their trust in our teams, partnering with them in delivering their projects and solving challenges," said Jacobs Global Vice President and Global Water Director Peter Nicol. "We are honored for Jacobs to receive world-wide recognition for excellence in serving our clients and playing a role in their projects, Green Meadows and Tuas Desalination Plant, being recognized as the best water project and desalination plant of the year." Jacobs earned a distinction award for Water Company of the Year, the top award that recognizes the company that made the most significant contribution to the development of the international water sector in 2018. Several achievements that positioned Jacobs for

Green Bay NEWWater facility
News

How this community shifted its views to build for tomorrow

Robust infrastructure establishes the backbone of productive, economically strong communities as assets essential to commerce, trade, public safety and quality of life. But what if we told you that the average American spends 12+ vacation days stuck in traffic every year? Or that most American water systems have been in operation for 75 to 100 years – well past their intended lifespans? America’s future will be shaped by the infrastructure choices we make today – reinforces that infrastructure’s impacts carry far beyond our lifetimes. When it comes to designing investible infrastructure that addresses the big issues we face in the world – unprecedented urbanization, catastrophic climate threats and both human and natural resources constraints, there’s no partner more capable than us – after all, Engineering News-Record named us the No. 1 Firm on their Top 500 Design Firms list for the seventh consecutive year in 2024. Just consider the work we’ve done with NEW Water – the brand of Green Bay Metropolitan Sewer District – to upgrade its solids handling system and change how it values its resources for the future. Green Bay: building for tomorrow, starting now Water covers 70% of Earth, but freshwater accounts for just 3% of that number – and the Great Lakes, a series of interconnected freshwater lakes spanning more than 750 miles of North America, make up a little more than 20% of that surface freshwater. Located on the edge of the Great Lakes is the City of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Home to the

Kirkwood Performing Arts Center rendering
News

Kirkwood takes center stage

As part of a multi-phase renovation and re-branding for the existing Kirkwood Community Center, the existing Reim Theatre is being relocated to a downtown location. The facility will serve to anchor a planned Arts & Entertainment district to complement a thriving restaurant and shopping strip along Kirkwood Road, the city’s ‘main street’, which also features a children’s museum, a farmers’ market and an historic train station. The Robert G. Reim Theatre is a renowned regional draw and already home to nationally renowned theatre company Stages, as well as the Kirkwood Theatre Guild. Both companies are responsible for superior quality productions and offer a fertile testing ground for new theatre, such as Stages’ production of ‘ Fun Home’, which went on to Broadway and was premiated in 2015 with five Tony awards. The $25 million facility totals 38,000 square feet and is comprised of a 525-seat, state-of-the-art, two-level, traditional proscenium theatre and performance support spaces; a 3,000-square-foot Black Box performance theatre; a 2,000-square-foot Events Space; and a two-story atrium lobby that will serve as the face of community events. The main theatre is designed as an intimate space with the inclusion of a balcony and stage extensions to ensure proximity to the stage for theatregoers. One of the most exciting features of the project is the Black Box, which can vary in size to create a flexible stage and varied audience interaction opportunities. The Black Box is intentionally a stripped-down, intimate performance space where more experimental performance and staging can be

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Press Release

Jacobs ranked No. 1 on ENR's Top 500 Design Firms list

DALLAS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:JEC) has been ranked No. 1 for the second consecutive year on Engineering News-Record (ENR)'s 2019 Top 500 Design Firms list. Widely considered the industry benchmark, the annual list ranks both publicly and privately held U.S. companies, based on revenue for design-specific services performed in the previous year. Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport’s Runway 17C/35C rehabilitation project. (Image courtesy of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.) NEW Water’s Resource Recovery and Electrical Energy (R2E2) generation system. (Image courtesy of NEW Water.) King County’s Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station (WWTS) project rendering. "The number-one recognition on ENR's Top 500 Design Firms list speaks to Jacobs' leadership addressing unprecedented, disruptive shifts involving digitization, urbanization, the environment and climate change," said Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou. "These are tremendous growth engines for Jacobs because we bring innovative solutions that advance progress on these issues and create a more connected and sustainable world." By combining diverse talents with deep client-application experience and digital intelligence, Jacobs analyzes complex problems from multiple perspectives to deliver more complete, higher value solutions for clients and communities around the world. Optimizing technology-enabled, sustainable solutions Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport partnered with Jacobs to find innovative solutions for its Runway 17C/35C rehabilitation project, the airport's busiest runway and first full runway refurbishment since it opened in 1974. Jacobs developed a sustainable design strategy incorporating DFW's goals to minimize overall time of runway closure while keeping future maintenance costs low. High-tech, weather-resistant

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Press Release

Jacobs to deliver construction phase services for Watercare's Central Interceptor project

DALLAS, April 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:JEC) has secured a variation with Watercare, New Zealand's largest water and wastewater utility, for the continuation of professional services during the construction phase of the Central Interceptor (CI) wastewater tunnel project in Auckland, New Zealand. Jacobs has been engaged as the professional engineering advisor for the CI project since 2014, delivering detailed design services. Jacobs role has been extended to include construction management and design support services for the construction phase of the CI project, expected to begin in mid-2019 and continue through 2025. "The appointment builds on our 20-year working relationship with Watercare," said Jacobs Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities COO and President Bob Pragada. "Our appointment is testament to the way our team has worked with Watercare and our subconsultant partners to deliver value during previous stages, and our ability to assemble a global team with extensive experience in the construction of deep tunnel water conveyance systems." Designed to collect and convey sewage and combined sewage overflows, the CI tunnel will run approximately eight miles (13 kilometers) from Western Springs to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant and is the largest ever wastewater project undertaken in New Zealand. The new tunnel is expected to reduce the volume of wet-weather overflows by 80 percent, contributing to the overall health improvement of Auckland city's waterways and receiving environment. "The Central Interceptor is the largest capital project Watercare have ever undertaken," said Watercare Executive Programme Director Shayne Cunis. "Jacobs' ability to mobilize a talented