Construction has officially begun on a new $267 million water treatment facility along Navajo Route 36 near Shiprock, New Mexico. The San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant, expected to be completed by late 2028, will play a vital role in securing clean drinking water for more than 200,000 people over the next four decades, including communities in Arizona. … Once operational, the plant will treat up to 18.8 million gallons of water daily—meeting Safe Drinking Water Act standards—with the capacity to double that output to 37.6 million gallons per day as needed. In addition to delivering long-term water security, the facility is expected to create 200 jobs during its development.