Projects
Clean Water Program San Mateo: A $1 billion investment in a clean water future
A 12-year program modernizing infrastructure, protecting the San Francisco Bay and strengthening community resilience
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The City of San Mateo, California, is undertaking a major program to transform its wastewater system into a modern, sustainable asset that protects public health and water quality in the San Francisco Bay.
Heavy rain events have overwhelmed the city’s aging infrastructure in the past, leading to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) that polluted the community’s streets, beaches and waterways. This resulted in a cease-and-desist order from the State of California in 2009 and new discharge permit requirements that prevented emergency blending of wastewater flows at the city’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
In response, the city initiated the Clean Water Program in 2014. This comprehensive 12-year, $1 billion capital improvement program consists of more than 20 projects designed to meet regulatory requirements and sustainability goals, including extensive sewer improvements and a major WWTP upgrade.
Jacobs was selected as program manager for this transformative initiative, the largest undertaking in the city’s history, and has provided support and expertise since 2014. We developed a delivery strategy that reduced the original program duration by ten years and we’re overseeing all aspects of the program with services including program controls, economic modeling, engineering support, construction management, public outreach and environmental documentation.
“Jacobs has been proud to support the City of San Mateo with this complex program for over a decade, building a collaborative team that truly knows how to deliver. This program really shows what Jacobs is all about—bringing smart ideas to the table, solving tough challenges and always keeping the community and the environment front and center.”
Dawn Taffler
Did you know?
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$ 1 B
Program capital cost
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20 +
Projects in the Clean Water Program
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12 year
Program duration
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$ 150 M
Reduced capital costs using Replica process model
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2 M
Work hours to date
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$ 168 M
Estimated savings using low-interest loans
Driving innovation and resilience
The largest project in the Clean Water Program is the $597 million upgrade and expansion of the city’s WWTP, which regularly exceeds its 60 million gallon per day (mgd) primary treatment capacity during heavy rains. The upgrade includes new liquids treatment processes — headworks, primary treatment, membrane bioreactor (MBR) process with biological nutrient removal, and a biological and chemically enhanced high-rate wet weather treatment process — as well as odor control upgrades and a new administration building. Jacobs revalidated the WWTP Master Plan and positioned the city as an early adopter of nutrient removal and water reuse opportunities.
Using our proprietary Replica™ digital twin software platform, we developed a wet weather management strategy to simulate flows and “right-size” the facilities. This approach optimized capacity needs and cut capital investment by more than $150 million compared to traditional methods. Given the project’s size and complexity, Jacobs also supported delivery using a collaborative Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) approach.
The new WWTP began operations in December 2025. It now better handles heavy storm events up to 78 mgd, with the high-rate wet weather treatment process providing secondary treatment of wet weather flows to eliminate blending and meet permit requirements.
The Clean Water Program also involves extensive collection system improvements to reduce SSOs, including new and rehabilitated gravity sewers, force mains, pump stations and a 5.3 million gallon underground flow equalization system. Jacobs developed a citywide dynamic model with climate-adjusted rainfall to predict system performance over a 30-year period.
Securing investment and earning public trust
As part of our program management services, Jacobs helped the city secure two Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans totaling $362 million and $137 million in Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for collection system improvements and WWTP upgrade. These low-interest loans will save the city up to $168 million in interest payments.
Throughout the program, Jacobs has supported the city in planning and executing a robust public outreach strategy, including early engagement at city council meetings and community open houses to explain the program’s benefits and gather input. Accomplishments include securing a multi-year rate increase of 14% per year, following a 36% rate increase the year prior, to fully fund the program and successful siting the controversial underground flow equalization facility.
“Managing a $1 billion rebuild of San Mateo’s wastewater system is no small feat. Jacobs brought innovative solutions and a highly skilled team that kept this complex program on track, cut the schedule in half and saved residents more than $250 million. Their expertise has been essential to the success of the Clean Water Program.”
