Water and wastewater
Global investment of about US$800 billion over the next 10 years is estimated by the World Bank as essential to bring water and wastewater services in line with acceptable international standards. Whether you're involved in desalination, wastewater or other water treatment project, you will need lawyers who understand the institutional reform, environmental and regulatory environment in which your project operates.
Our water group is made up of more than 15 partners and other lawyers across the firm. We received a Distinction in the Law Firm of the Year category at the Global Water Awards in 2008. We have a top tier ranking for Water in Chambers and Partners Guides to the Legal Profession.
Our industry commitment and experience is reflected in the publication of the Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook, now in its 12th edition (first edition, November 1999).
As industry experts, we have acted for the full spectrum of project participants from governments and public authorities, bidding consortia, special project vehicles and funders to construction and operation subcontractors.
Our experience in the water sector includes:
- water and wastewater project structuring and finance
- contracts including concessions, joint ventures and call off procurement frameworks;
- institutional reform
- regulatory work (including dealings with water regulators)
- planning issues (including discharge consents)
- environmental issues (including water quality regulations and contamination)
- desalination projects and industrial water outsourcing
We have advised on over 90 projects worldwide, from wastewater projects in Scotland to traditionally procured water supply projects in New Zealand (and many countries in between).
A small selection of our experience includes:
- advising the Glen Water Consortium, comprising Thames Water and Laing O'Rourke, to bid for Project Alpha (Clean Water) and Project Omega (Wastewater) in Northern Ireland. The Glen Water Consortium was successful in its bid for the Omega PFI Project.
- Advising the Ministry of Defence on Package B of Project Aquatrine, the largest water and wastewater PFI project in the UK which was let in three packages, Package B comprised water and wastewater facilities at the MOD facilities throughout Scotland.
- Advising a major utility on their AMP5 programme under which they will procure over £2 billion capital works for their regulated water business in 2010 to 2015 through a range of framework and partnering agreements - this is one of the largest UK procurement programmes in the utilities industry.
- Advising a member of the EPC construction consortium on the Marafiq desalination project at Jubail, Saudi Arabia – currently the largest in the world.
- Advising bidders on the New Cairo, Egypt and Muharraq, Bahrain Wastewater Projects – some of the first water PPPs in the region.
- Advising a UK utility group on the Engineering Procurement Construction contract (Package 1), in connection with design, build, and operation, of the Beijing No 10 water treatment plant - the fourth formal BOT project in China.
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