Learn about the future of WDBC and why the water industry is moving to collaborative delivery solutions

"How is the Water Design-Build Council different from other organizations?" is a question often asked by both utility owners and industry members. The Water Design-Build Council (WDBC) was organized for the sole purpose of delivering education about design-build delivery methods for water infrastructure that is based upon sound research.

The Third Edition of the Municipal Water and Wastewater Design-Build Handbook (which now includes material on design-build-operate delivery methods) is just one example. Further our research findings report that design-build is now a preferred delivery method, and no longer an alernative. With this research, WDBC’s education and training programs are customized to respond to the questions and needs of water utilities and agencies, incuding:

Defining the procurement and contracting differences between design-build delivery and design-bid-build.
How to create an organizational plan to manage and procure the servcies of a design-build company.

Over the next several months, WDBC’s website and blog will feature short articles responding to questions from our most recent research inquiries on “Impediments to Using Design-Build” and “What Managers Say They Need to Know About Design-Build Delivery". The article “Engineer’s right, Contractor’s wrong”, written by Joseph Lauria (WDBC Board Member from ACADIS US), highlights the benefits being achieved from this collaborative process on a southern California project. Similarly, our featured project profiles an example of how design-build is benefiting owner’s priorities. In the future, we will also provide articles from owners themselves about their experiences with design-build delivery.

- Linda Hanifin-Bonner, WDBC Operations Director

Moving from ‘Alternative Project Delivery’ to ‘Collaborative Delivery Solutions’

By Joseph Lauria, Arcadis US

Engineer's right, Contractor's wrong. Simple as that, right? Not at all, and it never has been. In recognition of the idea that traditional design-bid-build is NOT always the best plan, the water industry is now embracing collaborative delivery approaches to an increasingly greater extent. As that continues to happen, the designation of "alternative project delivery" will fade from our engineering lexicon – as it should. In fact, what's considered "alternative" today is quickly becoming just one of a range delivery solutions that, taken on a project's merits, may be applicable. Project delivery solutions exist on a continuum, and if there's one thing for certain, it's that there is no one-size-fits-all. Read more on our blog >>

WDBC Member - CH2M Hill

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: The City of Wilsonville Completes New Wastewater Treatment Plant on Time and Under Budget

After a competitive bidding process in 2011, the City of Wilsonville, Oregon, entered into a long-term contract with Water Design-Build Council member CH2M HILL, which has been consistently ranked as the industry’s leading wastewater design firm by ENR and has helped clients worldwide meet a full spectrum of wastewater needs. By working with one firm and undertaking the project as design-build delivery, CH2M HILL helped the city fast-track the project and reduce potential cost overruns. To learn more, download the complete case study >>

Member Companies

The Water Design-Build Council stands ready to contribute its expertise, resources, innovation and enthusiasm to the challenge of strengthening our water and wastewater infrastructure.

The Water Design-Build Council is a not-for-profit association established in 2006 to promote best practices in design-build and construction management-at-risk procurement. Implementation of this mission occurs through education and outreach, serving in a leadership role as an industry advocate for the value of collaborative delivery for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

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