Mission and Culture

A pair of hands cupping water in a river or stream

As Ireland’s leading water and wastewater solutions provider, our mission is to protect the environment by treating water and wastewater to the highest EU standards, reducing carbon, and embracing circular economy principles. We help clients deliver reliable, high-quality services while safeguarding resources for future generations.

We are committed to delivering on five key UN Sustainable Development Goals: ensuring good health and wellbeing, providing quality education, securing clean water and sanitation, promoting affordable and clean energy, and fostering decent work and economic growth.

Our Purpose

CAW is dedicated to safely protecting water resources and the environment for future generations whilst providing clean drinking water and delivering the highest standards for the treatment of water and wastewater for our clients and local communities.  

A culture of innovation, cost efficiency, and reliability drives all of our business activities and operations, along with a steadfast commitment to reducing carbon emissions and recovering and reusing valuable resources.

Aerial view of waste treatment works nestled in the countryside

Our Values

These are the beliefs that underpin our culture and help us work better to benefit our clients and the environment.

We Put People First

We prioritise the needs of our clients, local communities and the CAW team to ensure the promotion of health, safety, and wellbeing of all. We celebrate achievements and foster leadership and growth through coaching and feedback for sustained high performance.

We Build Trust

Nurturing relationships is at the heart of our approach. We earn trust by delivering on promises to clients, the environment, local communities and the CAW team. We communicate openly and respectfully, taking ownership of issues when they arise.

We Do the Right Thing

We value integrity, accountability and fairness in our pursuit of delivering the best for our clients, the environment and the community. As a team and business, we take responsibility for the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing to promote a safe and inclusive environment.

We Work Together

We are more successful and more innovative when we collaborate. We draw strength and drive success from the diverse perspectives of our colleagues, partners, clients, and supply chain network, inspired by inclusive values as we build a sustainable future.

We are Continually Exploring

We continuously explore new and creative ways to help our clients achieve their goals, actively seeking improvements in efficiency, sustainability and safety through research, innovation and testing of new technologies.

Aerial view of Sligo wastewater treatment works

Our commitments

Safety & Wellbeing

Safety Management Systems are fundamental to all aspects of our business activities and operations. We integrate risk minimisation, proactive identification and robust controls into every project or asset we design, build, or manage. Central to our approach is the prevention of harm, ensuring that our actions protect our people, the community and the environment.

Sustainability

We take a holistic approach, considering our community, the environment, and the entire carbon lifecycle of assets and processes to identify the most sustainable and effective solutions. By optimising design and processes, integrating circular economy principles, and considering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we ensure our efforts actively contribute to a more sustainable future.

We are committed to reducing energy use, converting more waste resources to energy and finding new and productive uses for the material we process on behalf of our clients.

Continuous Improvement

We apply the principles of continuous improvement through our accredited management systems and Lean Methodology and follow industry best practices to ensure service excellence, consistency and optimal value for our clients.

Transparency

We act as an extension of our client's team, working collaboratively with them to achieve their goals and overcome the challenges they face. This includes comprehensive reports for plants that we operate and transparency of pricing for projects and operating costs, such as consumables.

Design engineer and operations manager walking at wastewater treatment plant

Our people

Our talented team are our most precious resource. It is their passion, expertise and commitment to our purpose through innovation, excellence, and sustainable practices that drives the business forward and enables us to deliver long-term value for our clients.

At CAW, nearly 40% of our team members have been with the company for over 10 years, a testament to our culture of empowerment, inclusivity, and collaboration. We actively encourage our teams to innovate and grow professionally, which is reflected in the many career advancements our employees have achieved during their time with us.

CAW Managed Sites

Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Works serves 50% of the Republic of Ireland's population and is one of the largest and most advanced treatment works in Europe. CAW has operated and maintained the plant for Uisce Éireann since 1999.
Managed by CAW on behalf of Uisce Éireann since 2010, Waterford Wastewater Treatment Works serves 190,000 people, using advanced processes to meet the highest standard to the environment and improve biodiversity.
Since 2009, CAW has operated and maintained the site (located in a Special Area of Conservation) on behalf of Uisce Éireann - consistently delivering high standards that prioritise biodiversity and environmental protection.
Since 2001 CAW have managed the operation and maintenance of the state-of-the-art Foxes Den water treatment plant to deliver around 16.5 million litres of drinking water per day to the county's population and businesses.