Our team provided design and construction services for a new horizontal collector well (HCW) for the Jefferson County Water Authority (JCWA). Delivered via a progressive design-build approach, the new well is now the primary water source, with a production rate of 3.5 million gallons per day (MGD) even during low river flow periods.
JCWA is the water provider for two communities in the southern St. Louis metropolitan area, Festus and Herculaneum. The well serves the Cathy Jokerst Water Treatment Plant, drawing its raw water supply from the Mississippi River. The region’s economy is growing, with a siding manufacturing facility opening in 2025.
JCWA’s existing collector well, completed in 2003, never achieved the desired yield of 4 MGD because of fluctuating river levels. The additional well was further necessitated by the need for redundancy and increased capacity related to regional economic growth. The original HCW now serves as redundant backup supply.
The use of a progressive design-build approach allowed the team to develop project costs quickly and created more cost certainty. The new well is connected to a 250-kW backup generator that will operate either collector well in the event of a power failure.
The project was delivered on time, within budget and with zero safety incidents.