Contractors FlatironDragados and Sukut Construction have commenced work on the $1.9 billion Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit project in Morgan Hill, California, according to an Aug. 21 announcement from Hochtief, the parent company of FlatironDragados. Work began following a notice to proceed from the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
As part of the scope of work, the construction team will rebuild major portions of the dam to meet modern seismic safety standards, the announcement said. That includes reconstructing the dam embankment and spillway, installing new outlet infrastructure and completing related roadway, utility and environmental improvements.
Anderson Reservoir, which the dam impounds, is Santa Clara County’s largest surface reservoir, per the announcement. It supports water supply, groundwater recharge and incidental flood protection for nearly two million residents.
The overall project will cost $2.8 billion to complete, and construction of the seismic retrofit is expected to begin in early 2027.
That higher, overall project cost comprises additional aspects of the build, according to Valley Water. For example, in addition to the retrofit, FlatironDragados, as the prime contractor, is nearing completion of the Anderson Dam Tunnel, a key part of the agency’s plan to prepare Anderson Dam for this stage of the project. According to a Valley Water fact sheet, it began work on the 1,700-foot-long, 24-foot-diameter tunnel in 2021 which will serve as a permanent low-level outlet for Anderson Reservoir.
The larger project highlights a trend in water work, as contractors and municipalities have invested in shoring up water security and aging infrastructure. These include water treatment facilities and infrastructure repair efforts.
Indeed, water projects today can differ by region, and projects in the Southwest can focus on getting to “every last drop,” said Jaren Murphy, the president of water for St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Cos.
“Today, almost every large municipality, water resource district, whatever it may be, has a billion-dollar-plus capital improvement plan and is trying to improve infrastructure, building new plants. The overall growth of this market has really been incredible the last five years,” Murphy told Construction Dive earlier this month.
