BROOMFIELD - MWH Global Inc. in Broomfield has been hired by the city of Austin, Texas to conduct $5.3 million of preconstruction work for a water-treatment plant.

The environmental engineering, construction and strategic consulting firm will serve as construction manager-at-risk for the plant that will cost $508 million and produce 300 million gallons of water a day to meet the city's growth and infrastructure demands.

Plans for the plant, to be located on 92 acres in northwest Austin, include a raw water intake and tunnels, pump stations, pipelines and water-treatment facilities. According to the city of Austin, the first phase of the plant will produce 50 million gallons of water a day and will be operational by 2014.

MWH is using more than 25 percent local minority and women-owned businesses during its preconstruction activities. In addition, MWH met the city's standards by integrating innovative construction concepts for sustainability and environmental mitigation. It will incorporate management processes to achieve or surpass the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Silver rating for the facility in conjunction with the city's design team.