Tunnel & Ground Engineering for Water & Wastewater 

Tunneling and ground engineering for water and wastewater involves planning, designing and delivering underground and surface-level infrastructure that supports water conveyance, wastewater collection and intake and outfall systems in complex ground conditions.

Underground infrastructure protects critical water and wastewater systems from surface constraints, reduces community disruption and supports reliable operation in dense urban and environmentally sensitive areas.

Tunneling and ground engineering support water conveyance tunnels, sanitary sewer systems, CSO infrastructure, intake and outfall tunnels for desalination and power generation facilities, and rehabilitation of existing conveyance tunnels.

Ground risk is managed through early investigation, ground characterization, modeling and integrated design to reduce uncertainty and support safety in construction and long-term operation.

Access points for underground water and wastewater infrastructure are designed to accommodate future projected flood elevation levels. In the case of CSO systems, the tunnels are sized to accommodate future storm volumes. Tunnels and shaft systems are also designed to be operational for more than 100 years with minimal maintenance required.

Rehabilitation extends the life of existing conveyance tunnels, improves performance and reduces the need for new construction in aging water and wastewater networks.

By minimizing disruption at the surface and optimizing how infrastructure is designed and built, tunneling and ground engineering reduce carbon, use resources more efficiently and support longer-lasting water systems.