Navajo–Gallup Water Supply 

Project Newsletter

If you would like to learn more visit our website at 

https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/navajo-gallup/.

3rd Quarter, March 2020

Faces of NGWSP

My name is Jim Magnuson and I am 

the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply 

Project Operations Manager for 

Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. 

NTUA was established on January 

22, 1959, to address the absence 

of utilities on the Navajo Nation. 

NTUA has grown into a thriving 

tribally owned enterprise delivering 

a portfolio of services, which has 

continuously served the Navajo people 

for more than 61 years. NTUA is 

purposed for all utility operations on 

the Nation, including operation and 

maintenance, electrical distribution 

and transmission, natural gas, water, 

wastewater, and power generation 

services, including solar, for the 

Navajo people at a low and reasonable 

cost. My role with NTUA is twofold: 

first, to facilitate communication and 

cooperation between Reclamation and 

NTUA in all stages of the Project – 

planning and construction through 

the O&M stages of the Project; 

second, to establish and develop 

a NTUA operational structure, a 

NGWSP Division, for assuming all 

NGWSP O&M responsibilities. The 

NGWSP provides a long-term water 

source to the eastern portions of the 

Navajo Nation with the capacity for 

allowing economic development in 

many water source poor areas.

NGWSP Work Continues – Safety and Health 

Paramount

By Pat Page, P.E., Bureau of Reclamation

The health and safety of our employees, partners and the communities we serve is 

Reclamation’s highest priority. As this pandemic continues its assault on the world, 

the country and the Navajo Nation, we are taking every precaution to protect the 

safety and health of our staff, contractors, and local communities. Our goal is to 

do our part to slow the spread of the virus while continuing important NGWSP 

construction to provide a clean, reliable water supply for the Navajo Nation, the City 

of Gallup, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Continuing construction on the project 

is deemed essential in the public health orders from both New Mexico Governor 

Michelle Lujan-Grisham and Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez’s. However, 

we’ve taken steps to make sure workers maintain appropriate social distancing 

while on the job—including keeping at least 6 feet between each other and limiting 

gatherings to no more than 5 people in any one area. In addition, Reclamation and 

contractor employees are wearing masks to further prevent the spread of the virus. 

We are continuously monitoring the situation and will take any actions necessary 

keep our staff, contractors and the public safe. 

Mural on abandoned building in Shiprock New Mexico. Photo by Mark Gray

NGWSP Construction Update 

● Reach 22b is nearly finished with 

construction completion expected by 

the end of April.

● Reach 21 and the Cutter Lateral 

Water Treatment Plant is more than 

70% complete now, with completion 

and startup with the first water 

deliveries to the Cutter Lateral 

anticipated in the late summer to 

early fall 2020-time frame.

● Reaches 26.1 and 26.2 are more 

than 95% complete with completion 

anticipated in May. 

● Reach 27.9 was completed this past 

January. Construction on Reach 27.10 

is expected to begin in June.

● Block 9-11 is more than 95% complete 

with completion expected in June.

● Block 4c-8 construction started in 

mid-January 2020 with completion 

slated for winter 2022.

Cutter Lateral

San Juan Lateral

● Reach 26.3 construction is underway 

with completion anticipated early 

summer 2020. 
Navajo–Gallup Water Supply 

Project Newsletter

If you would like to learn more visit our website at 

https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/navajo-gallup/.

3rd Quarter, March 2020

By Joe Savage, Surface Water Rule Administrator, New Mexico Environment Department

No one needs to be reminded that water is essential for life. Water in the Four Corners region is in short supply for many 

communities and available water is often of poor quality.

In order to mitigate water contamination and scarcity, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project was conceived, and a significant 

portion of the project, the Cutter Lateral, is near completion. Multiple State and federal agencies are involved with this massive 

Project. The Project includes two large surface water treatment plants and two long transmission lines (laterals) to bring 

much-needed potable water to communities in the Four Corners region. The Cutter Lateral will soon deliver potable water to 

communities in San Juan, Sandoval, and Rio Arriba Counties. The San Juan Lateral farther to the west is in late stages of the 

design and construction phase.

Project water in the Cutter Lateral originates in the Cutter Reservoir and the San Juan River Basin. The water will be filtered to 

remove sediment, microorganisms, and organic matter. To ensure that project water is safe in all aspects, extensive monitoring 

will be continually conducted. The water will be tested for minerals, contaminants related to health, and microorganisms. If any 

contaminant exceeds acceptable levels, everyone will be notified, the laterals will be flushed, and corrections will be made to 

return the water to safe standards.

Project Will Soon Be Delivering Much-Needed Water 

Cutter Lateral Reach 21 Water Treatment Plant

Looking to the south over Cutter Reservoir

By Barbara Crockett, P.E., CH2M

The Cutter Lateral Reach 21 Water Treatment Plant construction is nearing 

completion and is scheduled to begin delivering safe, clean drinking water 

to communities in the eastern portion of the Navajo Reservation and the 

southwestern corner of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation later this year. 

The water treatment process is designed to remove inorganic, organic, and 

microbial contaminants in accordance with Federal Safe Drinking Water Act 

regulations for the protection of public health.

Water conveyed from Navajo Reservoir to Cutter Reservoir near Bloomfield, 

New Mexico will be pumped through a series of 2 pumping plants to the 

treatment plant, where it will be initially treated by clarification and filtration. 

This treatment removes small particles and microorganisms before it is disinfected and distributed to the receiving communities 

by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. The small particles and microorganisms that are removed, referred to as “solids,” will 

be trucked to a nearby landfill to be disposed of properly. The new water treatment plant includes a process operation building, 

a control room, administrative offices, a laboratory, and maintenance facilities. The state-of-the-art treatment plant has been 

designed to treat 3.5 million gallons per day initially (Phase 1) and can be expanded to 5.4 million gallons per day to meet future 

demands (Phase 2). Water from the project will be used for municipal, industrial, and domestic purposes.

Looking east, CLWTP construction continues in early 

March 2020