Water Resource Recovery
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Thanks to industrialization and urbanization, the way we manage and even think about wastewater has evolved.
While we didn’t invent today’s modern sewerage systems, we now understand that all water is a precious resource and not something we should simply dispose of. At Jacobs, we take the total water cycle into consideration to engineer and develop OneWater solutions and cutting-edge technologies that collect, reclaim and reuse wastewater.
What others might still consider waste, we see as a resource. In a capital-constrained and resource-constrained world, this is more important than ever. Utilities, industries and water-scarce regions that are implementing water reuse schemes and water systems capable of recovering energy, carbon and nutrients – like Australia’s Kooragang Island Water Scheme or Denmark’s Ejby Molle net-positive energy wastewater treatment plant – recognize the value of conserving water, optimizing their operations and reducing their energy and carbon footprint.
Since 2006, we’ve been ranked as the No.1 design firm by Engineering News Record in Sewer/Wastewater Treatment.
What we do
We take the total water cycle into consideration when engineering solutions and developing cutting-edge technologies to collect, reclaim and reuse wastewater.
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Wastewater Master and Facility Planning
With our consulting and advisory services, we provide clients with a long-term roadmap for prioritizing capital investments in water resource recovery, helping to identify solutions that minimize investment, maximize efficiency and accommodate future regulatory mandates.
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Wastewater Treatment
As the No.1 ranked design firm in wastewater treatment by Engineering News Record, our wastewater treatment solutions include managing liquid municipal wastewater from its arrival at the Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) through to its discharge as a treated effluent. We provide planning, design, design-build and operations services for new WRRFs, expansions and upgrades.
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Energy Optimization and Sector Decarbonization
We develop solutions for energy optimization, energy recovery, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and carbon sequestration at WRRFs. From renewable energy generation and green hydrogen production to process emissions assessments, we support clients with their net-zero and energy efficiency goals.
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Wet Weather Treatment
As our clients prepare for more frequent and intense rain events, we provide solutions for the management and treatment of wet weather flows – including stormwater and used water – within treatment facilities.
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Residuals Resource Recovery
In line with circular economy principles, we develop solutions that unlock the benefits of reusing wastewater residuals through various forms of land application and energy and resource recovery, from biosolids master planning to co-digestion, nutrient recovery and biogas utilization.
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Natural Treatment Systems
From wetland-based treatment to aquifer replenishment, we provide solutions that use constructed or modified ecosystems and natural biological, physical and chemical processes to improve water and environmental quality.
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Odor and Air Quality Management
An industry leader in odor and corrosion control modelling, we help our clients to control odor and air emissions from collection systems and WRRFs, implement safety management programs to prevent accidental release of regulated chemicals and achieve air quality compliance.
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Explore our projects
Jacobs delivers tailored solutions worldwide. Our global portfolio of projects has supported clients with addressing dynamic issues like aging infrastructure, impacts from climate change, water scarcity, flooding and affordability. The solutions we develop in collaboration with our clients provide communities with the foundations they need to flourish and grow.
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Reimagining Rikers Island Infrastructure and Landscape
Jacobs is working with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to study the feasibility of consolidating four aging wastewater resource recovery facilities into a new state-of-the-art one billion+ gallon-per-day facility on New York's Rikers Island.
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Ejby Mølle Water Resource Recovery Facility
VandCenter Syd (VCS) Denmark worked with Jacobs to transform Odense, Denmark’s largest water resource recovery facility (WRRF) from a large electrical power consumer into a net producer of electricity and heat energy capable of serving more than 400,000 people – and achieved carbon neutrality and energy independence in less than a quarter of the typical timeframe for utilities.
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Enhancing Decarbonization of Water Treatment Process for Singapore's PUB
Jacobs was appointed by PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, to provide professional engineering services for the development of the new greasy waste (GWTF) and food waste treatment facilities (FWTF) to maximize energy and resource recovery at the Changi Water Reclamation Plant (CWRP).
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Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility
Pima County Regional Water Reclamation Department selected Jacobs to help implement an advanced water reclamation facility using the design-build-operate delivery model. Together, the integrated team unveiled an industry-first wastewater treatment process, saving taxpayers millions of dollars, augmenting precious water supplies and setting a new standard for delivering critical infrastructure projects under the watchful eye of regulators and stakeholders.
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San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility
The San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the western U.S. and serves the Silicon Valley area, supporting 1.4 million people and 17,000 businesses. Jacobs’ work is split into two operations: Headworks and Cogeneration.
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Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
Since 2003, Jacobs has been working closely with The City of Calgary on the Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to raise the bar for wastewater treatment in Canada.
Meet some of our team
Read more about the talent who make it happen every day.
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Tim Constantine, Jacobs Global Solutions Director for Water Resource Recovery
Tim Constantine has 25+ years of experience in wastewater process planning and design for over 400 wastewater treatment and reuse infrastructure projects spanning five continents. Prior to being appointed Global Solutions Director for Water Resource Recovery, Tim served as Jacobs’ Global Principal for Wastewater Treatment, acting as lead process designer or senior technical advisor on treatment plant studies and design projects around the world. Considered a leading authority in biological wastewater treatment, Tim has specific expertise in the development of whole plant treatment strategies to achieve the goals of the utility, whether it be energy independence, improved nutrient removal performance and/or treatment strategy development on constrained sites.
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Emma Shen, Global Principal for Wastewater Energy Optimization and Sector Decarbonization
Dr. Ruqiao (Emma) Shen is Jacobs Global Principal for Wastewater Energy Optimization and Sector Decarbonization. An expert in wastewater treatment plant performance assessments and process upgrades evaluation, process modeling and energy optimization, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, monitoring and mitigation from wastewater treatment and biosolids management, Emma leads a Jacobs team at the forefront of the global conversation about the paradigm shift toward a low-carbon, low-energy, and climate-resilient water sector. She is the current chair (2024-2026) of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) GHG Focus Group under the Residuals and Biosolids Community.
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Julian Sandino, Global Wastewater Solutions Director Emeritus
As vice president, technology senior fellow, and global wastewater solutions director emeritus in Jacobs, No. 1 ENR -ranked firm in Wastewater Treatment, Dr. Julian Sandino has participated in over 400 sanitary infrastructure and environmental projects around the world including process evaluations and designs for a wide variety of wastewater treatment facilities as well as applied research projects. He also serves as an advisor and special consultant to the World Bank in Water and Sanitation. Julian is named in Global Water Intelligence’s Top 40 Global Water Influencers list. He is a Fellow of the International Water Association (IWA) and of the Water Environment Federation (WEF); is a member of IWA’s Management Committee for the Design, Operations, and Costs of Large Wastewater Treatment Plant (LWWTP) Specialist Group and is a past Chair of WEF’s Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Design Committee.
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Todd O. Williams, Residuals Resource Recovery Global Principal
As Jacobs Global Principal for Residuals Resource Recovery, Todd Williams is an expert in residuals and biosolids management. Todd has supported dozens of biosolids and residuals management master plans in his 44-year career which include adaptive planning to manage emerging contaminants such as PFAS. Todd leads a team of biosolids and residuals technology experts capable of engineering every wastewater residual and biosolids treatment system available today. Todd is a Fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF); past the Chair of the Water Environment Federation’s Residuals and Biosolids Committee; member of the WEF biosolids Symposia, and a member of the International Water Association (IWA) Sludge Management Group.
Read our latest news
From new project wins and milestones to reports, podcasts and industry insights, discover what we’re up to.
From our newsroom
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NewsJacobs Selected to Design Transformative Water Infrastructure Program for Metro Vancouver
Jacobs, operating under a joint venture with AECOM, was selected to design Metro Vancouver’s multi-year program to upgrade the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. One of Canada’s most transformative programs, upgrading and expanding the current treatment plant will enhance water quality allowing the plant to serve nearly one million people by 2051.
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NewsA View on the Future of Water Resource Recovery: A Q&A with Tim Constantine
Carrying our wastewater solutions and treatment technologies into the future, Tim Constantine recently took on a new role as Jacobs Global Director of Water Resource Recovery Solutions. Tim brings 30 years of experience in wastewater process planning and design to the role. In this Q&A, Tim talks about the state of water resource recovery, how he’s rebranded how we think about wastewater, and highlights treatment innovations co-creating the world to come.
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NewsJacobs Joint Venture Secures Transformative Water Infrastructure Contract in Australia
Sydney Water program supports system resilience and economic development for the growing region in Sydney
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NewsJacobs to Deliver Data-Driven Operations and Maintenance of California Wastewater Infrastructure
Jacobs will expand its portfolio of digital and data-driven solutions with a new five-year contract with Lincoln-Sewer Management District 1 Wastewater Authority (LiSWA) – a joint powers authority between the City of Lincoln and Placer County in California.
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NewsFrom Septic Woes to Success: Jacobs Develops Innovative Wastewater Solution for King County’s Fall City
After 40 years of septic problems, Fall City’s business district is finally getting relief. A shared drain field, funded by almost $9 million from Washington State and Federal American Rescue Plan grants, will replace aging septic tanks. The system uses pre-treatment devices and pumps to treat wastewater, turning it into sub-surface irrigation for a nearby park. The project was so successful, the Fall City Waste Management System was awarded the King County 2023 Best-Run Government Innovation Award for Climate and Environmental Stewardship. Read more about the project in this article.
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NewsAI and Machine Learning for Wastewater Treatment Optimization
Ahead of WEFTEC 2024, Joshua Registe explains how Jacobs’ Intelligent O&M solution has helped to reduce chemicals usage at water resource recovery facilities.