Jacobs has secured a $200 million contract to deliver major upgrades at the San José–Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF) in California, one of the largest advanced wastewater treatment facilities in the western United States. The project will strengthen the long-term performance of the plant’s biosolids treatment systems while advancing energy recovery and sustainability objectives.
Operating 24 hours a day, the San José–Santa Clara RWF is a critical piece of Silicon Valley’s water infrastructure. The facility treats an average of 110 million gallons of wastewater per day, with a maximum capacity of 167 million gallons per day, using advanced processes that replicate natural water purification. It serves approximately 1.5 million residents and more than 17,000 businesses across eight cities and four sanitation districts, helping protect public health, the environment and the regional economy.
As progressive design-build contractor, Jacobs will modernize and replace aging mesophilic digesters, reducing the volume of biosolids requiring offsite disposal and improving overall process reliability. The upgrades will also increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, generating more biogas to supply the facility’s cogeneration system, originally designed and built by Jacobs.
A new Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG) receiving station will enable the treatment of high-strength organic waste from local businesses. By converting this material into renewable energy, the facility is expected to further reduce its use of natural gas and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“As San José plans for more housing and jobs, reliable wastewater infrastructure becomes essential to protect public health and support economic vitality,” said Jacobs Executive Vice President Greg Fischer. “Leveraging our experience in digester design and biological process optimization, we deliver long-term performance that turns waste into renewable energy and strengthens sustainability for generations.”
The design may include Jacobs’ Microbial Hydrolysis Process (MHP), which is expected to increase biogas production by up to 36% while reducing biosolids volumes by as much as 74 wet tons per day. Seismic resilience and operational flexibility to accommodate growth through 2077 are also key project priorities.
Walsh Construction and Structural Technologies will support Jacobs as lead contracting partners on the project.
