LOS ANGELES, CA — Cadiz, Inc., announces that it has entered into an agreement with Stantec, a sustainable design and engineering company, to oversee development and construction of the Mojave Groundwater Bank project.
Once complete, the project will provide 2.5 million acre-feet of new water supply, 1 million acre-feet of underground storage capacity, and a pipeline network spanning more than 350 miles between the Colorado River and the California Aqueduct. The Mojave Groundwater Bank will be the largest new water infrastructure project in the Southwest, providing affordable water supplies to communities in California and Arizona.
“Stantec is unmatched in the engineering industry for its expertise in water supply infrastructure and has been our trusted partner for nearly 20 years. We are very pleased to select Stantec to oversee design, development, and construction as we move into this critical phase in bringing the Mojave Groundwater Bank online,” said Susan Kennedy, CEO and Chair of Cadiz Inc.
Under the agreement, Stantec will serve as the owner’s engineer. It will also assist in the selection of the contractor under a construction management at risk delivery model and lead the engineering, procurement, and construction management process that is expected to bring the project online on an accelerated construction timeline.
“Water supply variability resulting from climate change threatens long-term water security throughout the Western U.S., and the water delivery system must be updated and expanded to safely and reliably meet the needs of our communities,” said John Hanula, Senior Vice President at Stantec. “Our teams have decades of experience working with utilities throughout California and the West. We understand the complexities of bringing new infrastructure online, and we are honored to be part of the innovative Mojave Groundwater Bank that will set many firsts in our regional water infrastructure.”
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The project is permitted to deliver 2.5 million acre-feet of new water supplies to communities in the Mojave River Basin, the Colorado River Basin, and California’s Inland Empire. It is also permitted to store up to 1 million acre-feet of imported supply, relieving pressure on the stressed State Water Project and Colorado River systems.
At the end of 2024, Cadiz announced a partnership with Native American tribes to construct, own, and operate the Mojave Groundwater Bank. The partnership represents a landmark collaboration with Native American tribes to build the first large-scale water infrastructure project off tribal lands in U.S. history. The total cost for construction of the project is currently estimated to be approximately $800 million.
