This audio is automatically generated. Please let us know if you have any comments.
Funding from the Jobs and Infrastructure Investment Act is starting to make its way to more jobs, including a water project in New Mexico.
The United States Bureau of Claims selected Jacobs to design and build Sant Joan Lateral Water Treatment Plant in northwestern New Mexico, according to a news release. At $267 million, the project aims to provide clean water to more than 250,000 people in 43 Navajo chapters.
The plant addresses a longstanding water accessibility challenge in the region, said Greg Fischer, Jacobs vice president of design, construction, operations management and facilities services. Currently, the Navajo Nation estimates that more than one-third of households rely on hauling water to meet their daily needs, according to the release.
“Critical to improving the living conditions of Navajo communities, in addition to basic drinking water, this plant will provide water for commercial and retail businesses, healthcare, schools and other facilities,” Fischer said. “Our approach provides the Bureau of Reclamation with a more efficient way to provide the critical infrastructure needed to support long-term, reliable water for this community.”
Jacobs will design and build the plant to initially treat up to 18.8 million gallons of water per day, with future expansion to double that capacity. The project includes commissioning of the San Juan Lateral Distribution System and will involve ongoing operations and maintenance.
The San Juan Sidewater Treatment Plant is a major component of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The project, funded in part by the Indian Water Rights Termination Fund through the IIJA, provides drinking water to the Navajo communities of Gallup, New Mexico, and Window Rock, Arizona.
Once completed, the water supply facility will divert 37,761 acre-feet of water annually from the San Juan River Basin. Jacobs will deliver two water treatment plants, along with nearly 300 miles of pipelines, 19 pumping plants and several storage tanks, according to the release.
Jacobs plans to begin initial water deliveries in late 2028 and expects to complete the entire project by late 2029.
Water projects continue to be a core part of the Jacobs portfolioCEO Bob Pragada said during the company’s most recent earnings call. Other recent industry awards include the Kranji Water Reclamation Plant in Singapore, Sewage treatment plants in Miami and work in progress Onondaga County, New York.
