Many top design firms report continued strength in environmental markets, particularly in the water and wastewater sectors. A wide variety of project types, from traditional to innovative, are moving forward, despite some hesitancy by water authorities to negotiate and sign contracts.
Peter Nicol, president of CH2M’s water business, says the firm has seen more opportunities across North America in both the public and private sectors, with numerous large projects out for proposals. “The challenge is that, although the jobs are out there ... jobs are slow to get going,” he says. “You have the work, but you’re not really moving your teams along quickly, and there’s not a lot of urgency on the receiving end.”