The completed plant is a critical feature of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project
Rendering of the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant
FARMINGTON, N.M. ─ The Bureau of Reclamation announced today a $267 million contract award to Jacobs Project Management for the design and build of the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant in northwest New Mexico. The plant is the largest and most important feature of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.
The completed system will treat and deliver vital drinking water to Navajo communities in northwest New Mexico, Gallup, New Mexico, and Window Rock, Arizona, fulfilling a commitment under the Navajo San Juan Indian Water Rights Settlement. Nearly half of the project is funded by the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The water treatment plant’s initial capacity is treatment of up to 18.8 million gallons of water per day to Safe Drinking Water Act standards, with the capability to treat up to 37.6 million gallons per day.
"We are extremely pleased to award this contract to Jacobs, who we have a long-standing relationship with, having completed the award-winning Cutter Lateral Water Treatment in 2020. Their consistent quality of work, reliability, dedication and proactive approach make them an invaluable partner,” said Reclamation’s Four Corners Construction Office Construction Engineer/Manager Bart Deming. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration and delivering safe, reliable drinking water together for the Navajo people.”
Jacobs Project Management will construct the water treatment plant near the town of Shiprock, New Mexico. The contract includes the commissioning and computer control integration, and 12 months of operations and maintenance necessary to fully test the water treatment plant while making the initial water deliveries.
The completion deadline for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project was recently extended to Dec. 31, 2029, through an agreement between the Navajo Nation, State of New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and the United States, collectively referred to as the Settlement Parties to the Navajo Nation’s Water Right Settlement on the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico. This extension is currently being formalized by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The San Juan Lateral is more than 60% complete with initial water deliveries slated for late 2028 and final project completion by the end of 2029.
