Jacobs Solutions Recommended as Milwaukee's Next Wastewater Operator, Pledges to Cut Palantir Partnership
An ad hoc committee has recommended Jacobs Solutions to be the next wastewater operator for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), favoring them over the current operator, Veolia North America. This recommendation is for a 10-year, $700 million contract set to begin in 2028. Jacobs' bid was $54 million lower than Veolia's, and the committee also cited Jacobs' systematic approach and extensive experience with real-time, data-driven tools as key advantages. A significant factor in the committee's decision was Jacobs' agreement to terminate its partnership with Palantir, a software company that has faced controversy for its role in assisting ICE with immigration enforcement. Concerns about this partnership had been raised by advocacy groups and even civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, prompting Jacobs to commit to using another company for its data analysis. The MMSD Commission is expected to make the final decision in September. 
