Jacobs, a leading global engineering, consulting, and construction firm, generated approximately US$11.5 billion in global revenue in fiscal year (FY) 2024. It ranks third among its U.S. engineering peer group for water and wastewater revenues, and holds about 22% (by population served) market share among leading third-party O&M providers for municipal drinking water and wastewater utilities in the U.S. Separately, WhiteWater Inc., a regional water services provider, oversees the O&M of Southbridge’s drinking water facility under a contract valued at approximately US$1.4 million annually.
Jacobs’s new agreement marks a strategic expansion. Southbridge has a smaller service area than Jacobs’s typical target for municipal contracts, but it presents an opportunity for the company to carve out an O&M presence in Massachusetts. In 2020, Jacobs made a play for a WWTP in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Ultimately, the city decided to continue its partnership with Veolia, which has operated the system since 1990.
