Decades in the Making: Jacobs Celebrates a Legacy of Collaboration, Transparency and Efficiency in Idaho

Relationships often grow stale due to a lack of communication, broken trust and a lack of effort. But in Twin Falls, Idaho, one relationship continues to spark joy — a 40-year relationship between the city and Jacobs.

In 1985, the City of Twin Falls hired Jacobs to operate and maintain the city’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), collection lift stations and industrial pretreatment program. Since, Jacobs has successfully earned multiple  extensions, and again celebrates a new 10-year agreement.

“The driver of this long-term contract is a relationship built on open communication and transparency,” says Jacobs Northwest Geographic Director of Operations Shawn Moffitt. “We’ve expanded and contracted the scope of work over the years to support the city’s ever-changing needs. These extensions are a testament to the city’s continued confidence in our team and the capabilities to meet these service needs.”

Industrial pretreatment program leadership

The city’s WWTP transports wastewater from residential, commercial and industrial properties. To remain in compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, Jacobs administers the industrial pretreatment program for the city.

Due to rapid industry growth, the city has relied heavily on us to run pretreatment systems for various industries. “The city is confident in our seasoned professionals and our knowledge. This makes it easy to provide oversight of industrial facilities and then transition them once they’re stable,” says Shawn.

Improved operational efficiencies 

In recent years, Jacobs and the city pursued a multi-year energy management program to implement low-cost energy-efficiency projects and receive incentives and technical assistance to lower operating costs. City and Jacobs staff attended training workshops, assessed the plant, and brainstormed and implemented operational adjustments to create energy and cost savings. 

To date, we’ve completed more than 70 energy efficient projects, such as optimizing digester mixing and adjusting the controls of inlet valves on aeration blowers. The projects resulted in a 10 percent reduction in energy, 969,189 kilowatt-hours in savings, 670 metric tons of CO₂ avoided greenhouse gas emissions and $79,620 in incentives for the city. The energy savings achieved allow for more efficient operations and more confidence in the planning and prioritization of energy-related activities.

“The ongoing program relies on our ability to collaborate with the city and understand what drives them, such as energy and cost savings,” adds Shawn. The program not only improves operational efficiencies, but also reaffirms our commitment to being good stewards of the city’s money and our environment.

This year, Jacobs will also fund a state-of-the-art treatment program to remove ferric chloride from the treatment process and replace it with micro-aeration in anaerobic digesters. The cutting edge technology will facilitate anaerobic digestion and achieve up to $130,000 in chemical savings per year. 

A skilled and engaged workforce

At the core of the project is the people, and the Twin Falls project knows how to maximize this influence for the sake of staff’s personal and professional development. The project has been a launching pad for project managers within the Northwest. Upcoming project managers regularly visit the project for hands-on training and shadowing to strengthen their cross-functional collaboration, gain skills and knowledge, and to practice the application of project management skills and techniques under a manageable scope. As regional project management opportunities open, staff easily transition to another project.

“The strong project culture, staffing availability and plant size create the ideal environment for training and building staff skills. The city also benefits from the diverse experience and skillsets available to them,” notes Shawn. 

The program’s success has led to a Junior Project Manager-in-Training program and numerous summer internships. “With a heavy focus on mentorship and real-world experience, our programs produce skilled professionals at all levels, from junior operators to regional managers,” says Shawn. 

The successful staff development programs ensure the city and Jacobs are best equipped to run the plant into the future and tackle industry staffing shortages.