KBR Inc. has secured a new four-year contract with South Australian Water Corp. (SA Water) to support the utility’s capital delivery program, one of the South Australian Government’s most significant infrastructure programs.
The contract was won through a competitive tender and builds on KBR’s 15-year partnership with SA Water, extending the relationship through 2030. It covers support for a planned investment of about A$3.3 billion in water infrastructure projects over four years, a period described as SA Water’s largest-ever investment cycle.
Scope of work
KBR will support delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure services for SA Water’s 1.8 million customers across South Australia. 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.
Margaret Riley, director of water at KBR, said the appointment reinforces the company’s position as a trusted partner in the water sector. She said KBR was proud to be selected again to continue supporting the capital delivery program and that, over 15 years, the company had worked with SA Water to design, deliver and project manage some of the most critical water infrastructure projects. Riley attributed the contract to the team’s experience, technical capability and focus on safety, innovation and service excellence, and said KBR looked forward to working closely with SA Water to deliver lasting benefits for customers, communities and the broader South Australian economy.
Recent delivery and pipeline
Over the past year, the capital delivery team managed more than 2,000 individual projects. These included 69 km of new water mains, a major upgrade of the 132-km 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 will include South Australia’s Housing Roadmap, which involves expanding water and wastewater networks to support an estimated 50,000 new homes across the state. They also include infrastructure delivery such as upgrades to the Morgan to Whyalla pipeline, South Australia’s longest water pipeline at 358 km.
The contract therefore covers support across a broad set of assets, from refurbishing existing dams and tanks to replacing water mains, upgrading sewers and improving treatment plants. It also includes bulk water transfer infrastructure and major pipeline delivery programs, indicating a role in both existing-system upkeep and new capacity work. The listed projects link the contract to housing growth and long-distance water transfer as well as local network renewal.