- A $62 million construction contract was awarded on November 7, 2025.
- The plant will move stored San Juan River water to a treatment facility.
- The project supports Navajo and Jicarilla Apache communities and Gallup.
- Funding comes entirely from the Reclamation Water Settlement Fund.
- Initial San Juan Lateral water deliveries are expected in late 2028.
- Full project completion is scheduled for the end of 2029.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 — The Bureau of Reclamation announced
on November 7 a nearly $62 million construction contract for one of the most important facilities in the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The award, issued to Ames Federal Contracting Group, supports development of San Juan Lateral Pumping Plant No. 1, located just south of the San Juan River in the Navajo Nation’s Nenahnezad Chapter.
The new pumping plant will move stored San Juan River water from the Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir to the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant. Once treated, the water will travel along the San Juan Lateral to Navajo communities in northwest New Mexico, the City of Gallup, and Window Rock, Arizona. These deliveries reflect commitments made in the Navajo San Juan Indian Water Rights Settlement.
Bart Deming, construction engineer and manager for the Four Corners Construction Office, said the contract continues decades of coordinated effort between the Navajo Nation, the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the City of Gallup, and the State of New Mexico. He described the project as a source of safe and reliable drinking water that has already improved daily life and supported economic potential in communities that historically lacked dependable supplies.
What the Pumping Plant Will Provide.
San Juan Lateral Pumping Plant No. 1 will be the largest pumping station on the entire project, with a peak capacity of 71 cubic feet per second. According to Reclamation, this is enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in just over twenty minutes. Construction is funded entirely through the Reclamation Water Settlement Fund authorized under Public Law 111-11, which supplements Congressional appropriations needed to complete settlement projects.
The plant is part of the larger raw-water system that conveys San Juan River water to the treatment plant. That network, once completed, will enable the San Juan Lateral to serve as a reliable drinking water source for communities across the region.
Project Status and Expected Timeline.
The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project includes two primary pipelines: the San Juan Lateral and the Cutter Lateral. The Cutter Lateral has been providing water to Navajo homes and businesses since 2020. Construction of the San Juan Lateral is now more than seventy percent complete.
Initial water deliveries from the San Juan Lateral are expected in late 2028. Final completion of the entire project is planned for the end of 2029. The 2029 deadline was established under an agreement reached last year between the Navajo Nation, the State of New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and the United States. These entities are the Settlement Parties to the Navajo Nation’s water rights settlement on the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico.
Implications for Communities
When finished, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will replace unreliable or severely limited groundwater sources with a long-term surface water supply. The system is intended to support public health, reduce hauling of drinking water, and stabilize community water planning across large areas of the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, as well as the City of Gallup.
Because all work on this contract is funded through the Water Settlement Fund, it does not require new appropriations from Congress. This provides financial stability for construction and helps keep the project moving toward its 2028 and 2029 milestones.
FAQ
What is the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project?
It is a major regional water system designed to deliver treated San Juan River water to Navajo communities, the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the City of Gallup. The project includes two large laterals: the San Juan Lateral and the Cutter Lateral.
Why is Pumping Plant No. 1 important?
It is the primary facility that will move stored raw water from the Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir to the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant. Its capacity is the largest of any pumping plant on the project.
Who is paying for the construction?
Funding comes entirely from the Reclamation Water Settlement Fund, created under Public Law 111-11. This fund supports the construction of water settlement projects without relying on additional Congressional appropriations.
When will communities begin receiving water from the San Juan Lateral?
Initial deliveries are scheduled for late 2028. Full project completion is expected by the end of 2029.
Which communities will benefit from the project?
The project supports rural Navajo communities in northwest New Mexico, the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the City of Gallup, and Window Rock, Arizona.
Why was the project deadline extended?
The completion date was extended to December 31, 2029, under an agreement between the Navajo Nation, the State of New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and the United States, reflecting the scale and complexity of final construction tasks.
