KBR Inc. has been awarded a four-year contract by South Australian Water Corp. (SA Water) to support the utility’s capital delivery program, a major infrastructure effort for the South Australian government. The Houston-based engineering and professional services company said the contract was won through competitive tender and extends a 15-year relationship with SA Water through 2030.
The agreement covers support for SA Water’s largest-ever period of investment, with about A$3.3 billion in water infrastructure projects planned over four years. KBR will help deliver critical water and wastewater infrastructure for SA Water’s 1.8 million customers across South Australia.
Scope of work
The work includes dam upgrades, water tank refurbishments, bulk water transfer infrastructure, water main replacements, sewer network upgrades, and upgrades to water and wastewater treatment plants. KBR’s role spans support for delivery of these services, building on project design, delivery and project management work carried out during the partnership.
Margaret Riley, director of water at KBR, said the appointment reinforces the company’s position as a trusted partner in the water sector. “We are proud to have once again been selected by SA Water to continue supporting the capital delivery program,” Riley said. She added that over the past 15 years KBR has worked alongside SA Water to design, deliver and project manage some of the most critical water infrastructure projects.
Riley said the contract demonstrates the team’s experience, technical capability and focus on safety, innovation and service excellence. KBR said it looks forward to working closely with SA Water to deliver benefits for customers, communities and the broader South Australian economy.
Recent and planned programs
Over the past year, the capital delivery team has managed more than 2,000 individual projects. These included 69 kilometers of new water mains, a major upgrade of the 132-kilometer Tailem Bend to Keith pipeline, and a desalination plant for the outback town of Marree.
In the next four years, major programs supported by KBR are expected to include South Australia’s Housing Roadmap, which involves expanding water and wastewater networks to support an estimated 50,000 new homes across the state. The work is also expected to include infrastructure delivery such as upgrades to the Morgan to Whyalla pipeline, described as South Australia’s longest water pipeline at 358 kilometers.
The contract places KBR at the center of a large pipeline of water and wastewater work as SA Water moves through a period of expanded investment. The listed scope ranges from network replacements and treatment plant upgrades to bulk transfer and dam infrastructure, reflecting the breadth of the utility’s capital program. KBR’s extension through 2030 keeps the company involved in both near-term projects and longer-term planning tied to housing growth and regional water supply.