The evolution of partnering has risen out of a desire to return to the old-fashioned way of doing business. The need for partnering also stems from governmental procedures in which contractors are selected on a low bid basis. In many cases, living with the lowest bidder causes a great deal of concern among owners and operators of drinking water systems, not to mention construction managers, engineers, designers, construction contractors, and equipment suppliers. It is particularly unsettling when entering into a contract with firms that are unfamiliar, as was the case in the County of Spotsylvania, Virginia. This set the stage as an excellent opportunity to apply the partnering process to the construction of the Motts Run Water Treatment Plant. The 12 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) Motts Run Water Treatment Plant is under construction in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. It will use the Rappahannock River, the existing Motts Run Reservoir and the future Hunting Run Reservoir as sources to supply the County and the City of Fredericksburg with potable water. The $22.3 million project includes such features as a 28 MGD shoreline raw water intake and raw water pumping station, more than 3,000 feet of 36-inch raw water transmission mains, rapid mixers, contact basins, an innovative clarification process, filtration, pre- and post-chemical systems, a 2.1 million gallon baffled clearwell and high service pumping station, over 5,000 feet of finished water transmission mains, and wastewater handling facilities. This paper describes the partnering process used by the County to design and construct the Motts Run Water Treatment Plant.