Hawkins represented the San Diego County Water Authority as owner's lead counsel in procuring, drafting and negotiating a Water Purchase Agreement and related financing documents for this landmark reverse osmosis desalination project, together with a design-build contract for a water transmission pipeline. The WPA involved eight separate contractor responsibilities: siting, source water, permitting, design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance. The Carlsbad project, now successfully operating, represents the culmination of 10 years of complex, interdisciplinary planning work and is the largest US water sector P3 project completed to date.
| Client | San Diego County Water Authority |
| Role | Owner's Lead Counsel |
| Distinction | California’s First Major Seawater Desalination Facility |
| Delivery Method | Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (P3) |
| Project Size | 50 MGD |
| Capital Cost | $900 Million |
| Contract Value | $3 Billion |
| Contract Term | 30 Years |
| Contract Counterparties | Poseidon, Kiewit, Shea and IDE |
| Awards | Bond Buyer Deal of the Year, Project Finance Magazine Deal of the Year, Global Water Intelligence Desalination Plant of the Year and Design-Build Institute of America Award of Merit |
