What Ward & Burke does

Ward & Burke Construction Limited is a privately held, technically led design-and-build engineering contractor founded in 2001 and headquartered in Kilcolgan, Co. Galway, Ireland. The company specialises in water and wastewater infrastructure, with additional operations across road and bridge, marine and coastal, energy infrastructure and waste treatment, and urban regeneration. It operates in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States through wholly owned entities (including Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Limited in Canada and Ward & Burke Tunneling Inc. in the US), with a headcount in the 501–1,000 range.

The firm's core technology is centred on trenchless microtunnelling using a fleet of Herrenknecht AVN-series tunnel boring machines and in-house developed grouting and lubrication systems, complemented by integrated civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, process, and automation & control (MEICA) engineering capabilities. It has constructed over 40,000m of microtunnels in diameters from 600mm to 3000mm across its four operating geographies, including the longest curved microtunnels in Canada and the US and the largest diameter microtunnel in North America. Innovation in caisson shaft construction and self-climbing formwork is supported by staff research at MIT, Tufts, Oxford, and NUIG.

Ward & Burke earns revenue primarily through competitive tendering for public infrastructure contracts, delivered as design-build, construction-only, or Design Build Operate Maintain (DBOM) arrangements, with maintenance and operating contracts running from one to twenty years. Customer segments are dominated by regulated water utilities and municipal authorities (Uisce Éireann/Irish Water, Yorkshire Water, United Utilities, City of Calgary, City of Georgetown), with industrial clients such as Tesla, Regeneron, and McNally Construction accounting for a smaller share. Pricing is project-based with individual contract values ranging from approximately €1.0m to €85m, and the firm holds ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 50001, and 27001 certifications plus a Net Zero Carbon by 2040 commitment.

Name

Ward & Burke

Legal name

Ward & Burke Construction Limited

Website

https://wardandburke.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ward & Burke is a privately held, technically led design-and-build engineering contractor founded in 2001, specialising in water, wastewater, and trenchless microtunnelling infrastructure for municipal water authorities and industrial clients across Ireland, the UK, Canada, and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Construction

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rehabilitation, Lining & Renewal (Pipe Relining, Trenchless Rehab, Asset Renewal) (IMAFAGAL), Stormwater & Drainage Infrastructure Construction (Sewer, Detention, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAF), Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE), Subsea & Nearshore Civil Works (Trenching, Rock Placement, Mattressing) (IMAFAJAI), Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Water infrastructure construction
• Wastewater treatment
• Microtunnelling services
• Design build engineering
• Civil engineering contractor

Headquarters

HQ city

Galway

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Design Build Operate Maintain Contracts: Turnkey design-and-build contracts for water, wastewater and sanitary infrastructure projects. Includes design, construction, commissioning and often operation & maintenance phases. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with public utilities (Irish Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water) and private sector clients.
2. Operation & Maintenance Services: Ongoing operation and maintenance contracts for water and wastewater facilities ranging from 1 to 20 years. Includes routine plant operation, preventative maintenance, sampling and analysis, reporting, and emergency call-out services.
3. Construction Project Contracts: Construction-only contracts for specific project scopes including microtunnelling, civil works, MEICA installations, road and bridge projects. Revenue based on project value and completion milestones.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ward & Burke is a turnkey design-and-build engineering contractor that designs, constructs, commissions, operates and maintains water and wastewater infrastructure. It self-performs across civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, process and automation disciplines, and is a specialist in microtunnelling, caisson/shaft construction and trenchless pipeline works.

Product overview

Ward & Burke is a technically led, turnkey design-and-build engineering contractor founded in 2001, delivering vital infrastructure that helps communities thrive. The company operates a multi-disciplinary integrated approach across Ireland, UK, Canada and USA. Its core offerings span six sectors: Water Infrastructure Services, Wastewater Treatment Services, Road & Bridge Construction, Marine & Coastal Works, Energy Infrastructure & Waste Treatment Facilities, and Urban Regeneration. These sectors are supported by integrated expertise areas including Full Turnkey Capability (Design Build Operate Maintain), Process Engineering, Civil Engineering, MEICA, Anaerobic Digestion, Operation & Maintenance, Microtunnelling, Caissons & Shafts, and Specialist Engineering Services. The company has deep in-house capability spanning civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, process, and automation & control disciplines, enabling integrated teams to deliver complex infrastructure from first concept through construction and commissioning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Infrastructure Services Design, construction and commissioning of water conveyance systems, pumping stations, water treatment facilities and reservoirs for municipal water authorities, using in-house civil and MEICA resources.
• Wastewater Treatment Services Design, construction, operation and maintenance of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, storage and full turnkey solutions using in-house civil and MEICA resources.
• Road & Bridge Construction Road and bridge construction projects for local and national authorities across contract forms from traditionally procured to lump sum design and build.
• Marine & Coastal Works Sea defence works, flood prevention, breakwaters, fish passes, causeways, harbours and maintenance/fendering works for marine and coastal authorities.
• Energy Infrastructure & Waste Treatment Facilities Energy and waste-to-energy projects including standalone FRC, earthworks, pipework and detailed design across civil, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control, automation and process disciplines.
• Urban Regeneration High-quality urban regeneration, streetscaping and environmental improvement projects requiring intensive traffic and pedestrian management and bespoke finishes.
• Full Turnkey Capability – Design Build Operate Maintain Integrated project delivery from concept design through construction, commissioning, operation and ongoing maintenance across civil, mechanical, process and equipment design.
• Process Engineering Design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of water and wastewater treatment processes including industrial, leachate and sludge treatment and process optimization.
• Civil Engineering Portfolio covering bridges, tunnels, roads, water, energy and marine projects, including award-winning and technically challenging construction.
• MEICA (Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation) Fully integrated MEICA services including pumping systems, pipework, treatment processes, chemical dosing, sludge treatment, MCCs, instrumentation, control and automation, and site cabling.
• Anaerobic Digestion Design, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning and upgrading of anaerobic digesters including CHPs, heat exchanges, gas and hydraulic mixing with CFD analysis and DSEAR compliance.
• Operation & Maintenance Comprehensive O&M services for water and wastewater facilities including routine operation, preventative maintenance, sampling, reporting, optimization and emergency call-out for periods of 1 to 20 years.
• Microtunnelling Industry-leading microtunnelling constructing over 40,000m of tunnels from 600mm-3000mm diameter across Ireland, UK and North America using Herrenknecht boring machines, with long-distance and curved microtunnel capabilities.
• Caissons & Shafts Large-diameter shaft construction including launch/reception shafts, storage tanks and pumping station structures with in-house temporary works design and innovative self-climbing formwork systems.
• Specialist Engineering Services Piling, temporary works design and fabrication with certified facilities in Galway producing frames, cutting shoes, tunnelling spiders and temporary works equipment for projects across Ireland, UK and North America.

Quantifiable outcome

• Constructed over 40,000m of tunnels (600mm-3000mm diameter) across Ireland, UK and North America
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Yorkshire WaterflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Ward & Burke is part of the Yorkshire Water Storm Overflow Alliance delivering up to £1bn of capital investment in AMP8. The alliance between Yorkshire Water, AtkinsRéalis, Morrison Water Services, Stantec, and Ward & Burke will deliver comprehensive engineering solutions including strategic planning, design, management, and delivery of critical wastewater infrastructure. The partnership focuses on reducing storm overflow operation with plans for over £1bn investment over a five-year AMP8 period with option to extend for another five years. The alliance prioritizes sustainability, local employment and engagement with local supply chain partners.
• AtkinsRéaliscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Partnership with AtkinsRéalis as part of the Yorkshire Water Storm Overflow Alliance for AMP8 infrastructure delivery.
• Morrison Water ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Partnership with Morrison Water Services as part of the Yorkshire Water Storm Overflow Alliance for AMP8 infrastructure delivery.
• StanteccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Partnership with Stantec as part of the Yorkshire Water Storm Overflow Alliance for AMP8 infrastructure delivery.
• AdvancecoreOthersAdvance (operating as Affinity Water) engaged Ward & Burke for Williamsgate Water Treatment Works project in Cumbria, UK. Ward & Burke responsible for design, construction and commissioning of major new water treatment works.
• HerrenknechtcoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment supplier providing microtunnel boring machines (AVN series) for Ward & Burke tunnelling operations. Ward & Burke uses Herrenknecht AVN equipment including AVN1200, AVN1500, AVN1600, AVN1800 and AVN2100 machines.
• MIT, Tufts University, Oxford University, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnerships where Ward & Burke staff have undertaken research degrees and collaborated on developing innovative tunnelling and caisson construction methods. Research has led to deployment of innovative features in operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Barhale: UK-based civil engineering contractor specialising in water, wastewater and infrastructure for utility clients. Closely comparable to Ward & Burke in water-focused civil construction, MEICA self-performance, and framework contract model with UK water utilities.
• Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB): Joint venture between Mott MacDonald and JN Bentley delivering design-and-build water/wastewater infrastructure for UK utilities. Comparable integrated DBO model, AMP framework participation, and self-perform civil/MEICA capability targeting the same UK utility client base as Ward & Burke.
• Morrison Water Services: UK water infrastructure contractor delivering design, build and maintenance for water utilities. Direct competitor on AMP frameworks and named co-partner with Ward & Burke in the Yorkshire Water Storm Overflow Alliance, making it a like-for-like comparator.
• MWH Treatment: UK water and wastewater treatment specialist delivering process engineering, MEICA and civil works under AMP frameworks. Highly comparable specialist water-treatment delivery model to Ward & Burke's integrated DBO approach.
• JN Bentley: UK civil engineering and MEICA contractor focused on water and wastewater infrastructure for AMP frameworks. Comparable self-perform civil + MEICA model, water-utility client base, and design-and-build delivery approach.
• McNicholas Construction: UK utility infrastructure contractor delivering power, water, gas and telecoms civil engineering. Comparable specialist utility-civil contractor serving regulated UK infrastructure clients under framework agreements.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering consultancy with a large water practice delivering design and programme management for utilities. Comparable at the engineering/design layer of Ward & Burke's turnkey delivery; named co-partner in the Yorkshire Storm Overflow Alliance.
• AtkinsRéalis: Global engineering and project management firm with significant UK/Ireland water practice. Comparable in design and programme management scope; co-partner with Ward & Burke on Yorkshire Water AMP8 alliance and broader water infrastructure market.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with a major water business delivering planning, design, and programme management for utilities worldwide. Comparable at the engineering consultancy layer and an indirect competitor for integrated programme delivery that Ward & Burke participates in.

Regional players

• Glan Agua: Irish water and wastewater treatment design-build-operate contractor primarily serving Uisce Éireann and local authorities in Ireland. Closely comparable Irish peer competing for the same municipal water/wastewater DBOM contracts as Ward & Burke.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ward-and-burke-construction-ltd

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ward & Burke