Dual-purpose water transmission facility earns award

• Environmentally friendly pressure control and hydroelectric facility recognized as outstanding project

SAN DIEGO, CA, May 25, 2007 -- Black & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, announced today that the Rancho Penasquitos Pressure Control and Hydroelectric Facility (RPPCHF) received the Outstanding Project Award for 2006 from the San Diego Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

The award was presented to the San Diego County Water Authority, which owns the facility, and Black & Veatch, which has engineered the project since its inception six years ago, at the organization's annual awards banquet on May 12.

"This project is very exciting, as it not only provides flexibility of water deliveries to our member agencies, but also provides enough power for approximately 5,000 homes each year, reducing emissions by use of 'clean energy'," said San Diego County Water Authority Construction Administrator Mike Wallace. "Each and every one of the project team members played an important role in completing this project and in meeting the needs of the community."

Planning, designing and constructing a single facility that would serve two purposes was challenging because different processes, equipment, and engineering skills were needed to create a facility that would effectively control water pressure and flow and simultaneously generate electricity in an environmentally responsible manner.

The RPPCHF is part of the extensive water distribution system that the Water Authority owns and operates in San Diego County. Located along a major aqueduct and connected to a 108-inch-diameter untreated-water pipeline, the facility was designed not only to control water pressure and flow but also to generate renewable energy through a turbine-generator set sized at 4.5 megawatts. The San Diego community will benefit from this green renewable energy, which takes full advantage of the excess pressure at the project site that otherwise would have been wasted.

"The San Diego County Water Authority showed great foresight in building a facility that would meet diverse demands and incorporate environmentally sustainable technology by making use of a completely renewable energy source," said Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of Black & Veatch's global water business.

"Successful completion of this multi-faceted facility also required a combination of water and energy expertise found in very few companies," he added. "By making use of available hydraulic pressure, this water facility is able to generate substantial electricity without harmful emissions."

According to Black & Veatch Hydropower and Hydraulic Structures Director Carlos Araoz, the project team's planning and design support included activities to maximize community acceptance of the facility, which began commercial operation in January 2007. Public opinion was solicited for the siting decisions, and special measures were taken to help the facility aesthetically blend into the selected residential and commercial area.

The basis for the awards is "an engineering project that demonstrates the greatest engineering skills and represents the greatest contribution to civil engineering progress and mankind." The project was one of seven Outstanding Projects selected by the San Diego Section of ASCE.

The San Diego County Water Authority is a public agency serving the San Diego region as a wholesale supplier of water from the Colorado River and Northern California. The Water Authority works through its 24 member agencies to provide a safe, reliable water supply to support the region's $150 billion economy and the quality of life of 3 million residents.

Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch develops tailored infrastructure solutions that meet clients' needs and provide sustainable benefits. Solutions are provided from the broad line of service expertise available within Black & Veatch, including conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, program management, construction management, environmental, security design and consulting, management consulting and infrastructure planning. With more than $2 billion in revenue, the employee-owned company has more than 100 offices worldwide and has completed projects in more than 100 countries on six continents.

Black & Veatch's global water business provides innovative, technology-based solutions to utilities, governments and industries worldwide. Local project teams work with multinational water and wastewater treatment process experts to address site-specific challenges through a broad range of consulting, study, planning, design, design-build and construction management services. The company's Web site address is www.bv.com.

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