Jacobs has entered into a decade-long agreement with the Soquel Creek Water District (SqCWD) to manage and operate a new advanced water purification facility located in Santa Cruz County, California.
This facility is a crucial component of the Pure Water Soquel initiative, which focuses on replenishing groundwater and preventing the intrusion of seawater.
The purification process at the facility involves treating municipal wastewater through a three-step method: ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and the application of ultraviolet light combined with hydrogen peroxide.
This method will generate water to replenish the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin, which serves as the only drinking water source for the region. Additionally, the facility aims to decrease ocean discharge by as much as 25%, thereby enhancing environmental sustainability.
“As climate change poses risks to water security, many communities are looking towards water reuse strategies,” stated Greg Fischer, Vice President of Design-Build and Operations Management and Facilities Services at Jacobs. “Together, we are proactively tackling the issues of seawater intrusion and groundwater contamination while providing an innovative and resilient solution for the community’s water resources.”
Jacobs has been engaged with this project since 2020 in the role of an operations and maintenance at-risk consultant and will leverage its Digital OneWater suite to improve plant performance and mitigate operational risks.
The creation of a digital twin for the facility enables the simulation of various scenarios, optimizing energy consumption and chemical usage.
SqCWD General Manager Melanie Mow Schumacher emphasized the facility’s significance, stating, “Pure Water Soquel plays a vital role in addressing our local and regional water supply issues, and establishing a reliable partnership is essential.”
This initiative is part of Jacobs’ wider commitment to infrastructure projects in California, which includes the Pure Water Project for Las Virgenes-Triunfo and the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES). The collaboration with SqCWD aims to provide a sustainable water solution in a region increasingly challenged by climate change.
Source :Jacobs
