GALLUP, NM The city of Gallup, New Mexico, council members approved an eight-year contract with CH2M to take over operations and maintenance of the city's five-million-gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant. In addition to Operations Management Services, CH2M will design and construct an upgrade to the current facility. Upgrades will help the community with odor-control issues and boost efficiency of biosolids disposal.

"We are thrilled to have CH2M as our partner," said Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney. "We look forward to the excellent technical knowledge the firm will be able to bring to our community as they have in neighboring cities."

CH2M has a strong presence in New Mexico when it comes to wastewater and operations management. The firm has been a longtime provider of OM Services to the cities of Grants, New Mexico, Rio Rancho, Mexico, and Farmington, Mexico. CH2M associates have won numerous awards for operations, safety and community service throughout New Mexico. OM Services professionals at the firm's Rio Rancho project won the 2015 Water Treatment Plant Maintenance Award and the Alice Darilek Water Conservation Award from the American Water Works Association's Rocky Mountain Section.

"The design-build operate contract allows us to deliver the full breadth of CH2M capabilities to the City of Gallup. We're looking forward to applying our expertise from beginning design concepts to successfully maintaining and operating the facilities to improve the performance of the City's wastewater treatment infrastructure," said Peter Nicol, CH2M Global Market Director, Water.

In addition, continuing to expand CH2M's position as the contract operator in the state of New Mexico brings additional value to all of CH2M's existing clients, as well as potential new clients.