How do you drive value and investment through collaborative delivery?

Alternative delivery methods offer enhanced collaboration and agility. Projects like the Little Miami Wastewater Treatment Plant and Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility reflect a broader shift in the industry: owners are increasingly turning to collaborative delivery to achieve greater certainty and performance. 

In my role leading the strategic expansion of Jacobs’ water design-build work in the Americas, I see firsthand how we’re guiding clients throughout the delivery lifecycle, whether it’s determining which delivery method will achieve the most value as Owner’s Advisor to delivering a design-build project. 

So, why are more water utilities looking to collaborative delivery and how does it create more value? 

Design‑build continues to gain momentum because it brings construction partners into the design process early, improving constructability, aligning design to budget and in turn, enhancing overall project quality. One of the most powerful advantages is the performance guarantee — a contractual commitment that the project will meet measurable operational standards. 

In the water sector, these guarantees often include strict requirements, from water quality and energy use to chemical efficiency. As the lead entity on water design‑build projects, Jacobs draws on deep technical expertise and decades of delivery experience to meet these expectations with confidence. 

Market forces accelerating the shift to design‑build

The water sector is growing rapidly and design-build adoption is accelerating even faster. States continue to update legislation to enable collaborative delivery, and more owners are seeking advisory support to understand and implement these models effectively. 

At the same time, today’s market conditions are complex. Aging infrastructure, population growth, shifting weather patterns and evolving biosolids and PFAS regulations are driving major capital needs. These demands compete with rapid expansion in data centers, manufacturing and industrial development, straining construction resources. Economic uncertainty, tariff impacts and escalation pressures have further increased project costs and reduced confidence in pricing. 

In this environment, collaborative delivery becomes a strategic tool — not just for delivering projects, but for driving investment. When teams collaborate early to enable scope alignment and clear communication, design‑build becomes a powerful tool for delivering resilient, high‑performing water infrastructure.