The three-year contract will result in the transfer of a number staff from Southern Water into Atkins as well as the establishment of two new local offices in Winchester and Brighton.
 
Atkins director Roger North said: "This is a strategic contract drawing on our expertise of asset management in a number of engineering sectors, combined with our global design capability."
 
Niall Mills, Southern Water director of Assets, said: "We have been working with Atkins for more than 15 years and in this time they have proven they can deliver the high standards we demand from our engineering consultants. As a regulated business we have a duty to deliver improvements and efficiencies. Using industry leaders like Atkins will enable us to deliver these objectives."