Contractors are racing to replace aging water infrastructure across the country with newer systems, especially as a number of facilities face growing threats from climate change and forever chemicals.
In California, a team led by Sundt Construction, with Jacobs serving as project and construction manager and HDR as design engineer, marked the completion of San Mateo’s $597 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade, according to a recent news release. The project ranks as the largest infrastructure effort in the city’s history.
The milestone caps a multiyear effort to replace a 75-year-old system in the San Francisco suburb, eliminating sewer overflow issues and introducing advanced treatment technologies to the facility. Construction began in 2019 and wrapped up while the existing plant remained fully operational, according to the release.
The project forms the centerpiece of San Mateo’s $1 billion Clean Water Program, a regional initiative to modernize San Francisco Bay’s sewer infrastructure. The upgraded facility features one of the world’s largest biological pre-treatment and clarifier systems, which can process up to 78 million gallons per day during heavy rainfall. Contractors also installed a 5.3-million-gallon underground flow equalization system at the San Mateo Event Center, one of the largest wastewater storage facilities in California.
Additional upgrades include a five-stage biological nutrient removal and membrane bioreactor systems, making the facility one of the most advanced treatment facilities in the state. Teams also completed a LEED Silver-certified administration building, along with new public pathways and landscaping, according to the release.
Wastewater construction projects
The milestone arrives as utilities nationwide face mounting water infrastructure needs. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. wastewater systems a “D+” on its 2025 Infrastructure Report Card.
That likely means ample opportunity for contractors in the space to pick up work. Jacobs recently identified water and wastewater construction as a long-cycle growth engine, according to remarks during its fiscal third quarter earnings call. The Dallas-based firm, which also managed the San Mateo project, recently reported strong momentum across its water portfolio, including work at the Little Miami Wastewater Treatment facility in Cincinnati.
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