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/.

4th Quarter, July 2020

Cutter Lateral Reach 21 Water Treatment Plant Start up and Commissioning

By Barbara Crockett, P.E., Jacobs

The Cutter Lateral Water Treatment Plant is currently in the final major project phase – Startup and Commissioning. The purpose 

of this phase is to test equipment, controls and process performance (i.e. confirm the finished water quality meets Federal Safe 

Drinking Water Act requirements) before any water is delivered to customers. A startup and commissioning team is responsible for 

completing this six-month phase of the project, which began this spring and will be completed late this summer. 

In addition to confirming the facility operates as intended, the startup and commissioning phase provides an opportunity for 

extensive training of operations and maintenance staff who will be running the facility. These staff members may be trained on the 

plant equipment, treatment processes, operational constraints and controls.

Once completed, the water treatment plant will provide drinking water to the eastern Navajo Nation and the southwestern corner 

of the Jicarilla Apache Nation beginning with initial phased deliveries in early fall 2020. The water treatment process is designed to 

remove inorganic, organic, and microbial contaminants in accordance with Federal SDWA regulations for the protection of public 

health.

The Cutter Lateral 21 Water Treatment Plant construction is nearing completion and undergoing testing and performance verification.

● Startup and Equipment Testing – This step includes mechanical checks, instrument calibration, electrical circuit tests, and vendor 

training.

● Functional Testing – Equipment is operated in wet and dry runs, software logic tested, the control system is tuned, hands-on training 

provided to operators, and a continuous seven-day test is performed.

● Process Startup – During this step operations and maintenance staff are trained, the treatment facility is cleaned and disinfected, and 

water production begins so the control system can be fined tuned.

● Acceptance Test – This test involves the final demonstration of the plant functionality and ability to treat water. The results of the 

tests are submitted to Reclamation to demonstrate the treatment plant is meeting performance requirements and will produce safe 

drinking water.

The following Startup and Commissioning steps include:
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/.

4th Quarter, July 2020

By John Leeper, Senior Project Manager, John Wood Group, PLC

The Cutter Lateral will divert water from the Cutter 

Reservoir to supply six public water systems:

These Navajo Tribal 

Utility Authority 

systems currently 

utilize groundwater. 

NTUA has 

contracted Wood 

Environment and 

Infrastructure Solutions to study the blending or replacement 

of groundwater with surface water. Steps that must be taken 

before delivery can begin include:

Water in a water 

system tends to 

either dissolve parts 

of the conveying 

infrastructure into 

the water – corrosive 

conditions – or 

precipitate minerals out of the water onto the infrastructure’s 

surface forming scale – scaling conditions. Water is rarely 

neutral between corrosive and scaling conditions. Cutter 

Reservoir water may change the water chemistry within the 

NTUA distribution systems causing corrosion or scaling. 

Corrosion might adversely affect pipelines, destabilize 

minerals built up over the years, or dissolve parts of the 

infrastructure impacting the water quality. Fortunately, 

with appropriate analysis, problems can be avoided. Metal 

corrosion can be reduced by adjusting the pH and alkalinity, 

reducing dissolved carbon, and adding common chemicals. 

Reclamation studied the corrosion potential in these systems 

caused by the partial replacement of groundwater in the 

systems with surface water. Wood focused on completely 

replacing the groundwater with surface water. 

Wood confirmed that surface water will only have minimal 

corrosive impacts. The water users should enjoy high quality, 

safe drinking water. For instance, the surface water has lower 

total dissolved solids than current sources. In the coming 

months, NTUA will be providing more information about 

this exciting transition. 

Cutter Lateral Water Delivery System Blending Study

Navajo Chapters Receive Funding for Regional Water Projects

By: Natanya Garnenez, Navajo Nation Water Management Branch

The Navajo Nation Water Management Branch hopes to find everyone in good health and in good spirits. WMB wanted to take 

this time to thank all Navajo Chapters for participating in the Regional Water Projects in 2019. This effort allowed the WMB 

Team to initiate three Regional Water Projects with Navajo Chapters along the NGWSP San Juan Lateral. The goal for the 

Regional Water Projects was to demonstrate to the State of New Mexico, the Nation’s cooperative efforts among Navajo Chapters 

to connect all existing water systems to the NGWSP. By July 2019, the following 3 Projects were developed and submitted by the 

Chapters in the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan for FY 2021-2025:

As a result of your Chapter’s participation and support, a handful of Chapters were selected to receive Capital Outlay Funds for 

2020 under NM House Bill 349. However, due the worldwide pandemic crisis, the State and the Nation are experiencing some 

delays and setbacks. The WMB team will continue to follow-up with the State offices.

The WMB team would like to remind all Navajo Chapters to update their ICIPs for FY 2022-2026. WMB Team will be more 

than happy to assist your Chapters to update your ICIPs on water-related projects. For more information, contact Natanya at 

ngarnenez@navajo-nsn.gov or Jesse Hillis at jrhillis@navajo-nsn.gov.

Please continue to support the Regional Water Projects! More importantly, please follow all the safety protocols to keep you and 

your loved ones safe and healthy during this time. We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

● Sanostee Chapter

● Two Grey Hills Chapter

● Newcomb Chapter

● Sheep Springs Chapter

● Naschitti Community Governance

● Tohatchi Chapter

● Mexican Springs Chapter

● Coyote Canyon Chapter

● Standing Rock Chapter

● Nahodishgish Chapter

● Crownpoint Chapter

● Littlewater Chapter

● Becenti Chapter

● White Rock Chapter

● Rock Springs Chapter

● Tsayatoh Chapter

● Carson Huerfano,

● Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle,

● Nageezi,

● Ojo Encino North,

● Torreon/Ojo Encino, and

● Whitehorse Lake.

1. Testing to prove that the 

water meets regulatory 

requirements and is fit to 

drink.

2. Completion of a blending 

water study.

3. Final construction inspection 

and transfer to NTUA.

Regional San Juan Lateral

Water Project

Regional Beacon-Bisti N9 

Sublateral Water Project

Regional Navajo Code Talkers 

Sublateral Water Project