In a major milestone after years of delays and cost increases, the Santa Clara Valley Water District has approved a construction contract to tear down and rebuild Anderson Dam, the largest dam in Santa Clara County, and bring the aging 240-foot-tall structure up to modern earthquake standards. The San Jose-based government agency awarded the $1.88 billion contract on Friday to Flatiron-Dragados-Sukut,  a joint venture of major engineering firms Flatiron-Dragados and Sukut Construction based in Concord. Work on the massive project, one of the largest public works projects in the Bay Area in recent years, is scheduled to begin Jan. 1 and finish by 2033.

Other water infrastructure news around the West:

• The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.): Southern California district out in Potter Valley dispute? Federal agency weighs in on who has say over Eel River dams
• Active NorCal (Redding, Calif.): A Southern California water agency tried to take over two Eel River dams. Federal regulators just said no.
• Construction Dive: Granite wins $50M California dam project
• Vail Daily (Colo.): Aurora says Whitney Reservoir plan not stalled by Gross Dam case or Wild Horse alternative
• Governing: How Los Angeles decides which water pipes to save