ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
For more than 50 years, engineering and construction expertise has been at the heart of what we do - including over 25 years in partnership with Mott MacDonald.
MAXIMISING PRODUCTIVITY
This depth of technical knowledge underpins every project. It allows us to maximise productivity through the development of standard products. By combining decades of hands‑on experience with modern methods of construction and DfMA principles, we deliver faster, more efficient solutions. Our growing library now includes 16 standard products that require only finetuning for each use, achieving significant time, cost, and carbon savings.
CLIENT BASE
Our expertise also allows us to share learning, scale innovations and bring efficiencies from across our wide client base. No organisation has long‑term agreements with more UK regulated water companies than MMB (now ten, following our 2025 success with Scottish Water). Innovation such as 3D concrete printing, first trialled in Yorkshire, is now being applied across multiple frameworks. At Usk Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons, for example, 3D‑printed pipe supports have accelerated the programme and improved safety.
Our reach brings benefits to clients outside the water sector too. In 2025, our years of experience with reservoirs helped us deliver our first design-and-build scheme for the Canal & River Trust, at Rishton.
PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
We continue to invest heavily in developing skilled experts. Alongside our commitment to training and development, our Practices connect colleagues with shared technical interests. In 2025 we launched our latest network: the Construction Practice, providing a forum for those passionate about the construction of the built environment..
Our early careers professionals (ECP) network is also thriving, giving colleagues the tools, support and connections to shape their careers and influence the direction of the business. In 2025, electrical engineer Lini Thomas was named Mott MacDonald Global ECP of the Year for her leadership, passion and commitment to learning and mentoring.
"LINI HAS REAL PASSION AND POSITIVITY IN LEADING BOTH ECPs AND WIDER GROUPS TO CONNECT, LEARN AND GROW."
COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION
Building a new treatment works within the tight footprint of an existing works whilst keeping it operational is a major challenge, but one we overcame through first-class engineering, great communication and true collaboration between Thames Water and MMB throughout the project lifecycle.
Constructed to address a growing population and tightening phosphorus discharge consents, the project expanded treatment capacity, upgraded storm flow management, and introduced full screening and flow balancing at Shutford Sewage Treatment Works in Oxfordshire. It also implemented modern instrumentation and telemetry, alongside new treatment processes.
"THE TEAM COMMUNICATED CLEARLY, UNDERSTOOD HEALTH AND SAFETY, THE NEED FOR COMPLIANCE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SITE REMAINING ACCESSIBLE BY OUR TEAMS." - DIANA GOODWIN, PEFORMANCE MANAGER, THAMES WATER
Built as a completely new works, the scheme included an inlet pumping station upgrade with new pumps and pipework in the dry well, screening facilities, storm separation, and two on‑site assembled rotating biological contactors within precast concrete tanks. A new chemical dosing system enabled an innovative two‑point dosing strategy.
Delivered safely, collaboratively, and under budget over a 15‑month programme, the project significantly improves local water quality, protects sensitive habitats, and contributes to Thames Water’s long‑term goals for sustainable, efficient wastewater treatment.
PROJECT: SHUTFORD SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS
83% REDUCTION IN SPILLS TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Yorkshire Water’s Storm Spill Reduction Programme (SSRP) is significantly cutting discharges from combined sewer overflows, improving environmental protection across the Yorkshire region. We achieved beneficial completion at 30 sites in 2025, aided by an approach that embraced both standardisation and digital technology.
To manage the scale and pace of delivery, we deployed our digital Moata GIS tool. This tool integrated asset, survey, utility, and health, safety and environmental data into one collaborative platform, accessible to subcontractors and the client alike.
Given the repetitive nature of the online/offline storage solutions at several sites, we partnered closely with the supply chain to standardise certain aspects of our detailed designs. For example, a standard shaft cover slab opening arrangement was agreed, containing one opening for the pumps, one for shaft inspection and two for materials/personnel access. For our pipe storage solution, we designed a pipe that reduced the number of manholes required on the storage structure.
This approach delivered a 22% saving in carbon when compared with the project baseline. Overall, the additional 2,750m3 of network storage we’ve provided offers an 83% reduction in spills to the environment.
PROJECT: STORM SPILL REDUCTION PROGRAMME (SSRP)
STANDARD DESIGNS IN ACTION
Across a £35m batch of seven phosphorus removal schemes in Nottinghamshire, over £225,000 in cost savings and 25tCO2e carbon savings have been achieved by applying standard repeatable designs. This demonstrates the value of using our pre-designed DfMA standard solutions to avoid ‘reinventing the wheel’, with only minor adjustments needed to match site-specific conditions.
Take our standard product for chemical dosing, which covers civils works, drainage, pipework and mechanical and electrical installations. Developed to include an integral or civil bund, the product was installed at seven sites under ‘Batch 3B’, including the sewage treatment works at Swanwick. The ‘plug and play’ install of the chemical dosing unit benefited from the team’s increasing familiarity with the product, improving efficiency on site. Coupled with comprehensive guidance materials developed in-house, this led to savings of £22,000 in design and a further £28,000 in construction.
The standard product incorporates sustainable principles such as thin walls, minimum excavation and optimised storage volume, achieving a 20% carbon reduction compared to previous similar projects.
Applying industrialised construction principles, lessons learned from Batch 3B have already been incorporated to a revision of the chemical dosing standard product, putting continuous improvement at the heart of what we deliver.
PROJECT: BATCH 3B, SEVERN TRENT
STATE-OF-THE-ART SOLUTION
As a long-standing partner within Anglian Water’s @one Alliance, MMB continues to play a central role in the delivery of innovative, efficient solutions across the East of England. In AMP8, @one is delivering a record £2.6 billion of regional investment.
Tasked with increasing hydraulic and water treatment capacity at Dereham Water Recycling Centre in Norfolk, the @one team developed a non-traditional solution that the team could deliver ahead of a tight regulatory deadline.
This solution centred on a state-of-the-art modular sidestream treatment system, chosen for its performance, resilience, and minimal environmental impact - together with its ability to be engineered at pace. An above-ground pumping station was purpose-built to transfer increased flows through the new process.
The sidestream integrates three proven modular technologies from Siltbuster: Lamella clarifiers for solids separation; moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) supporting biological treatment; and dissolved air flotation (DAF) units for optimising solids removal.
The units were assembled and tested off-site, before being transported to Dereham to be connected to provide a bespoke system. Off-site fabrication accelerated delivery, reduced embodied carbon and eliminated the need for complex groundworks on site. It also gives our client scope for future growth as additional units can be added quickly and cost-effectively.
PROJECT: DEREHAM WATER RECYCLING CENTRE
Built with Shorthand