The San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Treatment Plant is a key part of Albuquerque’s modern water system. Operated by the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, the facility treats surface water delivered through the San Juan-Chama Project, which diverts water from the Colorado River Basin into the Rio Grande and produces safe, reliable drinking water for the metropolitan area.
Serving Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, the plant is critical infrastructure supporting more than half a million residents, businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities. In a semi-arid climate with limited rainfall and recurring drought, Albuquerque cannot depend solely on groundwater. By blending treated surface water with groundwater supplies, the San Juan-Chama system helps protect the aquifer, strengthen drought resilience, and ensure a sustainable water future for the community.
In 2024/2025, as part of its regular maintenance program, the City of Albuquerque undertook a complete sediment removal project at the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Treatment Plant in New Mexico. The project involved dredging and dewatering accumulated sediment from the facility’s Settling Water Storage West and East Basins. APG used a high-volume cutter head–style auger dredge, with a hinged boom that can be precisely lowered to the depth of the sludge for efficient removal.
The sediment was processed using APG’s high-capacity centrifuge system, which efficiently dewaters the material for transport and stockpiling. This combination of specialized dredge technology and in-house modified centrifuges allowed APG to handle a large volume of sludge safely and effectively, ensuring continuous plant operations and minimal disruption to water service throughout the project.
Work was performed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to meet demanding schedule requirements. Over the course of the project, a total of 82,284 dry tons of sediment were removed and processed, including 42,628 dry tons from the West Basin and 39,916 dry tons from the East Basin. The dewatered material was carefully transported and stockpiled on site for future management. APG’s team maintained strict adherence to safety protocols, environmental compliance, and operational precision throughout the project.
APG completed the project on time and within budget while exceeding all contractual requirements. The client praised the team’s responsiveness, technical expertise, and outstanding health and safety performance.
This project highlights APG’s ability to handle large-scale, technically challenging dredging and dewatering work while maintaining high standards of safety, quality, and operational excellence.
Dredging lagoons, cleaning digesters, and dewatering solids are at the core of APG’s expertise. Since 2004, APG has relied on high-tech mobile centrifuges, available in multiple sizes and modified in-house, allowing the team to select and optimize the right equipment for each type of sludge and ensure the success of every project. This tailored approach enables APG to handle even the most challenging dredging and dewatering operations across a variety of settings.
Over the years, APG has successfully completed projects across municipal, industrial, and pulp and paper sectors throughout North America and consistently delivering high-quality, consistent results. With advanced equipment, proven expertise, and a dedicated team, APG continues to provide reliable, scalable solutions for municipal and industrial projects of any size or complexity, reinforcing its reputation as a righthand partner in water & wastewater maintenance and management. APG is the partner you can TRUST.
