Earth Tech to Build Desalination Plant for South Carolina Community

Earth Tech Inc., a business unit of Tyco International Ltd., and a global provider of consulting, engineering and construction services, has been awarded a $5.5 million design-build contract by the Hilton Head Public Service District, the drinking water and reclaimed water utility for the north and mid-island areas of Hilton Head Island, S.C. for the development of a new desalination facility that will increase access to affordable fresh water in the community.

Saltwater intrusion in the local aquifer has forced the utility to purchase almost half of its water from its wholesale surface water supplier in recent years. Earth Tech will design and build a new treatment facility, which will use reverse osmosis to treat up to 3 million gal per day (mgd) of brackish water from the 600-ft-deep Middle Floridan Aquifer, a new drinking water source for the island.

“Ensuring a reliable source of drinking water is an issue that many communities face,” said Bill Webb, executive vice president of Earth Tech’s Global Consulting & Engineering business. “Our global expertise in designing water facilities, combined with our treatment technologies, will help Hilton Head meet the drinking water needs of its residents for years to come.”

Earth Tech’s scalable design will allow the capacity of the plant to be doubled to meet future needs of the region. It will take approximately 18 months to design and build. Water & Power Technologies, a division of Earth Tech, will construct the reverse osmosis system.

Source: Earth Tech