Jacobs Expands Water Infrastructure Modernization Role in Virginia

January 14, 2026

Projects will integrate advanced technology and expand capacity to meet rising demand and environmental standards

DALLAS, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Jacobs (NYSE: J) secured two engineering and program management contracts with the City of Suffolk, Virginia to expand and modernize water and wastewater infrastructure. These projects will advance critical upgrades to maintain regulatory compliance and support long-term regional growth.

One contract will continue to support the city’s program to reduce sanitary sewer overflows. Under the second contract, Jacobs will provide planning, design and construction management services for expanding surface water treatment capacity, water distribution system modeling, pump station evaluations and rehabilitating groundwater wells. These improvements are critical as the population grows and groundwater withdrawal limits tighten.

Jacobs Executive Vice President Katus Watson said: Every drop of water and every mile of pipe tells a story about resilience. Beyond technical upgrades, these projects deliver tangible benefits for Suffolk: cleaner waterways, enhanced public health, high-quality drinking water and infrastructure that supports economic development.

Jacobs has strengthened the City of Suffolk’s water and sewer systems delivering critical water infrastructure for more than twenty years, including the replacement of electrodialysis reversal membrane units at the G. Robert House Jr. Water Treatment Plant, improving water quality and reliability for thousands of residents. Jacobs also developed and recalibrated the city’s hydraulic models, enabling accurate capacity planning and reducing the risk of sanitary sewer overflows, guiding Suffolk to full regulatory compliance while introducing a data management system to improve efficiency and resilience.

City of Suffolk Director of Public Utilities Paul Retel said: “The City of Suffolk Department of Public Utilities has valued our relationship with Jacobs for over two decades. Whether the work involves guiding water and sewer regulatory compliance programs, detailed design or hydraulic modeling, Jacobs’ professionalism and responsiveness has been a valuable component of allowing us to operate and maintain our water and wastewater systems at a high level. Jacobs’ depth of understanding of our utility systems allows them to offer well thought out solutions that are tailored to our specific needs and challenges.

Ranked as No. 1 in Sanitary & Storm Sewers and Sewer & Waste by Engineering News-Record, Jacobs delivers today’s most complex, challenging and iconic infrastructure programs. Jacobs has supported programs like the RiverRenew program, which is modernizing combined sewer overflow infrastructure and improving water quality in Alexandria, Virginia; the Thames Tideway Tunnel in London, one of the largest water infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the U.K.; and Auckland’s Central Interceptor, New Zealand’s largest-ever wastewater project.  

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 45,000, 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 LinkedInInstagramX and Facebook

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