Upgraded San José facility will continue to transform waste into renewable energy

DALLAS, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Jacobs (NYSE: J) has been selected as the progressive design-build contractor for upgrades to the San José–Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF) in California. This $200 million project will modernize the city’s biosolids treatment infrastructure, delivering long-term reliability at the second largest advanced wastewater treatment plant in the western United States.

As the design-build partner, Jacobs will upgrade and replace aged mesophilic digesters. These digester improvements will reduce the amount of solids to be hauled offsite for disposal while also enhancing the conversion of biogas produced which directly fuels the facility’s award-winning cogeneration system — also designed and built by Jacobs. A new Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG) receiving station will accept high-strength waste from local businesses and convert it to clean energy, cutting natural gas use and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Jacobs Executive Vice President Greg Fischer said: “As San José plans for more housing and jobs, reliable wastewater infrastructure becomes essential to protect public health and support economic vitality. 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.”

Jacobs’ innovative design approach, including the potential integration of its Microbial Hydrolysis Process (MHP), is expected to increase biogas output by up to 36% and reduce biosolids production by as much as 74 wet tons per day — about the weight of 50 mid-size cars. The project also prioritizes seismic resiliency and operational flexibility to meet future growth through 2077.

Jacobs will deliver the additional digester facility upgrades under a design-build contract, supported by Walsh Construction and Structural Technologies as lead contracting partners.

San José–Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility’s Deputy Director Kapil Verma said: “The completion of our previous capital improvements marked a major milestone in strengthening our wastewater treatment infrastructure. That success gave us the momentum to launch the next decade of improvements. Working with Jacobs on this critical project as our strategic design-build collaborator ensures we can build on what we’ve achieved and continue investing in reliable, sustainable systems that will serve our community for generations.”

A global leader in water, Jacobs has more than 25 years of water design-build experience and has delivered more than 150 design-build projects and programs, including award-winning modernizations at the San José–Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility and the Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility, two of the largest and most advanced water reuse projects in the U.S.

At Jacobs, we’re challenging today to reinvent tomorrow – delivering outcomes and solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With approximately $12 billion in annual revenue and a team of almost 43,000, we provide end-to-end services in advanced manufacturing, cities & places, energy, environmental, life sciences, transportation and water. From advisory and consulting, feasibility, planning, design, program and lifecycle management, we’re creating a more connected and sustainable world. See how at jacobs.com and connect with us on LinkedIn,Instagram, X and Facebook.