The Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) has appointed Jacobs to provide engineering services for the proposed Strawberry High Line Improvement Project, a water conveyance scheme with an estimated construction value of $750m.

The programme would replace the open Strawberry High Line Canal with a buried pipeline, converting the system into a pressurised network.

The vacated corridor would be repurposed into a regional trail, creating a new recreational route and strengthening connections between communities along the alignment.

Jacobs will work in a joint venture (JV) with Bowen Collins & Associates. The two firms are expected to deliver design and construction-phase support services covering new pipelines, a pump station and associated infrastructure.

According to the district, the enclosed system would support water deliveries to a future population of about 420,000 people.

The project is designed to support both agricultural users and the growing urban communities in eastern Juab County and southern Utah County.

Jacobs executive vice-president Tom Meinhart said: “Modernising critical water infrastructure is essential to managing community vitality.

“With Utah’s significant growth, the Strawberry High Line Improvement Project would improve system performance, delivering water for agriculture, communities and future development.”

The canal dates from around 1916, when it was built as part of the Strawberry Valley Project. It carries water from the Spanish Fork River and the Strawberry Reservoir for agricultural and municipal use.

Jacobs works across the water cycle, from rainfall to reuse, on schemes aimed at protecting water quality, strengthening resilience and safeguarding the environment.

Its previous water assignments include modernisation programmes at the Thames Tideway Tunnel, the San José–Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility and the Donald C Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility.

The company reports annual revenue of approximately $12bn and employs around 47,000 people. It provides end-to-end services across advanced manufacturing, cities and places, energy, environmental, life sciences, transportation and water.

Last month, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) selected Jacobs to deliver construction management services for two highway improvement projects in Orange County, California.