Clean drinking water and properly treated wastewater are cornerstones of public health. They can be challenging for counties and municipalities to deliver, especially due to aging infrastructure, weather disasters, cyberattacks, forever chemicals and community growth.

The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) annual 2025 U.S. Infrastructure Report Card gave America’s drinking water treatment infrastructure a C– rating, which translates to “mediocre and needing attention.” Wastewater infrastructure received a D+ rating, “poor and at risk.” 

The report also said that in the next 15–20 years, both sectors can expect to experience federal funding gaps in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Additionally, a good portion of the workforce maintaining these facilities will retire.

While the news is not good, these circumstances offer promising opportunities for electrical contractors.

ASCE reported a greater push to employ digital technology in these settings. In 2023, installment of IT systems was planned in 43% of water treatment facilities. 

For water treatment and reclamation, ASCE’s top recommendations for improvement were to focus on asset management to extend facility life and reliability. That includes related testing and maintenance of electrical infrastructure supporting pumps, controls, lighting and HVAC in treatment operations. 

John Burns Construction Co.

Five years ago, John Burns Construction Co. opted to get serious about pursuing water reclamation and water treatment contract work in the Chicago metropolitan area, said Mike Jasek, senior project manager. 

“It seemed a natural fit for a company that got its start with early infrastructure projects in Chicago,” he said. 

In 1906, Chicago Alderman John Burns founded the company, which ended up constructing and maintaining significant portions of the city’s first-generation electrical infrastructure. Now headquartered in Westmont, Ill., the company continues to handle street lighting and mass transit projects in Chicago; it also has an office in Lewisville, Texas.

For water-related infrastructure projects, Jasek said, “We have a couple of estimators, a superintendent, assistant superintendent, an assistant project manager, project manager and me—seven in all. We’re good at recognizing opportunities, and we see that due to urban sprawl and aging infrastructure, there’s a real need to build and upgrade these facilities over the next 10, 15 to 20 years.”

Six of Chicago’s southwest suburbs have formed the Grand Prairie Water Commission to secure a sustainable drinking water supply and support continued growth and development in the region. Through the commission, all will be upgrading and building infrastructure to enable the delivery of water from Chicago and Lake Michigan.

“It’s a huge project, one that comes amid upgrading city of Chicago Department of Water management facilities, which are expected to supply the water,” Jasek said.

While that water may not be coming directly from Chicago’s Eugene Sawyer Water Purification Plant on Chicago’s lakefront, John Burns Construction, as a prime electrical contractor, is working with the city’s Department of Water Management on mechanical upgrades there, including process controls and boiler replacement. 

“Keeping the equipment in good condition and able to serve the people of Chicago and any other potential customers is essential,” Jasek said. 

This isn't the only water infrastructure project John Burns Construction has successfully bid on. That’s not surprising because, despite predicted funding shortfalls nationwide, billions have already been committed across the United States to upgrading reclamation plants.

In 2024, Austin, Texas, received $500 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to expand its system. A water reclamation facility serving Nashville, Tenn., received $403 million. Other projects in Arizona, Florida and South Dakota received more than $700 million combined, thanks to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.

Whether funding support will continue remains to be seen, but Jasek expects demand for electrical work in this sector to stay strong. And aside from federal funding, many water reclamation projects throughout the country are constructed and maintained through state and local funding. 

“We’ve seen a large uptick in this work and realized it’s a good area in which to expand. We are seeing a lot more things like UV lighting for disinfection and elimination of microbes that are harmful” to people and wildlife, Jasek said. 

Much like manufacturing operations or oil and gas operations, he said, water treatment and reclamation facilities operate with motors that propel pumps requiring variable-frequency drives and programmable logic controllers.

The plants also require arc protection for inside panels and for switchgears that provide high-voltage connections to electric utilities. 

To get the work done, John Burns Construction relies on inside wiremen, lineworkers and apprentices.

“Do we see value in employing apprentices in these settings?” Jasek asked. “Absolutely. I would say it’s very similar to working in a large industrial plant or refinery, with miles of wire and pipe and controls all working together.”

One consistent difference, however, is PVC rigid conduit. 

“That’s because of the wet environment,” said Ryan Steeno, project manager at John Burns Construction. “PVC-covered conduit can be tougher to handle than normal conduit. There’s a special way to bend it, and it’s good for apprentices and journeymen to learn this.”

The unique setting is also starting to call for the talents of systems integrators who install and coordinate state-of-the-art controls for water-monitoring systems and remote-control access, Jasek said. Prime electrical contractors such as John Burns Construction end up working with these integrators and HVAC contractors. 

To fulfill requirements of government contracts related to public works projects, it helps to qualify as a minority contractor, Jasek said.

Jamerson & Bauwens Electrical Contractors Inc.

Jamerson & Bauwens Electrical Contractors Inc., Northbrook, Ill., is also tapping into water reclamation work. Its focus is on testing and electrical system maintenance.

A recent video produced for Powering Chicago, the LMCC for the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Chicago and Cook County and IBEW 134, explores Jamerson & Bauwens’ handiwork locating a failed electrical component within a pump control at the village of Algonquin’s sewage treatment plant. There, 3 million to 4 million gallons of wastewater are taken in per day, stripped of solid waste, purified and eventually released into the Fox River. 

An overhead view of the Algonquin water reclamation plant in the Chicago area.

NFPA 70B

Jamerson & Bauwens used ultrasonic and infrared thermography diagnostic technology to pinpoint heat on equipment that could cause it to fail. Its TEGG Services-trained electricians checked for anomalies and ensured the system was compliant with the 2023 edition of NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance. 

“The big change with NFPA 70B is that it made regular inspection and maintenance a requirement for compliance and not just a recommendation,” said Elbert Walters, executive director for Powering Chicago. 

“Regular maintenance has always been essential for the safety of electricians, but it’s also crucial to ensure the reliability of electrical systems supporting things like water reclamation plants, hospitals and manufacturing operations, where the cost of a shutdown can involve catastrophic consequences,” Walters said. “Insurance companies know this and are starting to require proof of regular inspections and maintenance programs for underwriting their policies.”

NFPA 70B Chapter 412 stipulates that owners are responsible for the condition of electrical equipment and must adhere to periodic inspections and maintenance, and these tasks must be performed by those qualified to test and maintain the electrical system. That testing should include infrared thermography technology and other forms of testing, depending on the system.

Because of that, NFPA 70B presents plenty of opportunities for electrical system inspection and related repair in water reclamation and other sectors, said Gina Dooley, a Jamerson & Bauwens project manager. 

She worked with the village of Algonquin to set up an initial inspection, make repairs and develop a regular maintenance plan. 

It’s also important to remember that NFPA 70B was developed for the electrician's safety, Dooley said. 

A Jamerson & Bauwens electrician uses ultrasonic technology to check for arcing in a control panel. 

“Ultrasonic testing detects arcing noise that’s impossible to hear otherwise, so that before our people even open any panels, they know what they are dealing with and can take appropriate precautions to be safe," she said.

Beyond electrician safety and threats to community health, when operations shut down or malfunction, equipment can be expensive to replace. 

Jamerson & Bauwens is a TEGG Services franchise, with electricians trained to provide ultrasonic and infrared thermography inspections and maintenance services, she said. This means Jamerson & Bauwens provides these services for its customers, and the company coordinates with other electrical contractors in serving their clients.

Training includes two 40-hour segments offered online and a third segment that includes a week’s worth of hands-on training at Eaton's Experience Center, just outside of Pittsburgh.

Jamerson & Bauwens retains documentation related to maintenance checks and repairs required by NFPA 70B, and the TEGG software also facilitates easy sharing of documentation with customers.

“The software loads on to one platform and generates reports for us and for our customers,” Dooley said. “So, they get the report and can see what needs to be done so they can be proactive in relation to their budgets. Working with them, we prioritize repairs needed most urgently and keep a watch on others for scheduled maintenance.”

Dooley agreed with Walters that proof of regular maintenance has gained importance regarding insurance protection. 

“If something happens and there are no records, a customer might have difficulty obtaining coverage for an actual claim,” she said. “But if an owner can prove they followed due diligence and had the equipment tested and repaired on a regular basis, there will be a much better outcome.”

Of the Algonquin water reclamation plant, Dooley said, “It’s much better for the safety and economic health of the community to be proactive rather than reactive.”

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