Jacobs to Deliver New Water Reclamation Facility in St. Johns County, Florida

St. Johns County, Florida is undertaking its largest capital improvement project to date – a $191.8 million advanced water reclamation facility (WRF) and associated improvements that will treat 3.25 million gallons per day (mgd) of wastewater for beneficial reuse.

The SR 207 WRF, which will be expandable to 6.5 mgd in the future, will provide additional recycled water for landscape irrigation through the county’s reclaimed water distribution system. The county currently recycles 56% of its wastewater treatment flows for beneficial purposes, supplementing the use of groundwater and conserving its water supplies.

Jacobs has been contracted to provide design-build services for this landmark project, which represents the county’s largest capital improvement project to date. 

The new WRF will help the county comply with Senate Bill 64, a Florida law passed in 2021 that requires state-wide elimination of non-beneficial surface water discharges of effluent. Florida utilities are required to implement plans to eliminate their surface water discharges by January 1, 2032. 

The SR 207 WRF project is being delivered under a progressive design-build contract, with Jacobs responsible for design and construction of the facility and associated improvements, including 14.4 miles of large diameter pipeline, which will receive wastewater flows from the county’s collection system and deliver reclaimed water for residential irrigation. The scope also includes an offsite master lift pump station and reclaimed water booster pump station. Jacobs was initially contracted by St. Johns County Utilities Department in September of 2022 to undertake design and early construction work and was awarded a subsequent contract amendment in December 2023 to complete construction. 

In addition to regulatory compliance, the project will expand the capacity of the county’s wastewater system to address growth and reduce wastewater flows to the Anastasia Island WRF, which is located on a barrier island and vulnerable to storm events. This will allow the Anastasia Island facility to better handle large storm flows and reduce the discharge of nutrients to the Matanzas River, an environmentally sensitive water body. 

“Recycled water is part of our plan in St. Johns County to be more sustainable, to diversify our water supplies and to protect the environment,” says Deputy County Administrator Colin Groff. “With Jacobs’ support, construction of the SR 207 WRF will quickly expand our recycled water capacity and accommodate future growth for many years to come.”

Due to the limited capacity of the existing wastewater treatment system and projected growth within the county, design and construction of the new WRF are being fast-tracked. Jacobs is expediting the project by working with the county to overlap the design, procurement and construction activities in parallel with the detailed design development. This allows for certain construction activities, such as site work, and procurement of time-critical equipment with long lead times to get started early. 

“As the client’s largest capital improvement project and one of the largest water design-build projects that Jacobs is delivering in the region, the SR 207 WRF underlines the benefits of collaborative delivery for major water infrastructure programs,” says Jacobs Vice President and Director of Design-Build & Operations Management and Facilities Services Greg Fischer. “By overlapping design, procurement and construction activities, we’re working with the county to expedite this important reclaimed water project and quickly meet their capacity needs.”

“Our Jacobs employees, subcontracting partners, and county staff have worked together very diligently to deliver the first stages of the SR 207 WRF project, and in the process we have developed a trusting relationship, which is the foundation for all successful progressive design-build deliveries,” says Jacobs Vice President and Project Director Dave Schoster. “We look forward to continue working with the county and further developing our partnership so that we can deliver quality projects together for years to come.” 

“The SR 207 WRF project demonstrates the proactive nature of St. Johns County to provide its customers with innovative and sustainable solutions to meet increasing growth while protecting and sustaining natural resources,” says Jacobs Vice President and Client Account Manager Mike Dykes. “We value the trust that the county has placed in the Jacobs team and we’re committed to making this legacy project a huge success for all stakeholders.”

A global leader in water, Jacobs has more than 25 years’ industry-leading experience in the water design-build space and has delivered more than 150 design-build projects and programs. We offer fully integrated design-build and design-build-operate capabilities, with engineering, construction, commissioning and operations expertise under one roof.