Santa Clara Valley Water District Issues

The Santa Clara Valley Water District is the primary water resources agency for Santa Clara County, California. It acts not only as the county’s water wholesaler, but also as its flood protection agency and is guardian of the county’s immense watersheds, including management of 10 reservoirs, more than 800 miles of streams and vast groundwater basins.

Watersheds

Flood protection for homes, schools, businesses and transportation
Flooding is part of the dynamic nature of healthy rivers and ecosystems. To protect county homes and businesses, the Water District has invested $1.1 billion in flood protection infrastructure and programs over the last 25 years.

Clean, safe water in our creeks and bays
Improving the quality of water in the county’s creeks and bays and the natural features of stream corridors is vital to Santa Clara County’s quality of life, and are key components of the Water District’s watershed approach.

Healthy creek and bay ecosystems
The health of a creek reflects the conditions throughout the watershed, not just those along its banks. The Water District’s environmental work protects and restores habitats and encourages the return of endangered species such as the red-legged frog, steelhead trout and salt marsh harvest mouse.

Trails, parks and open space along waterways
Watersheds, stream corridors and flood protection levees offer hundreds of acres of land for the entire community to use and enjoy. The Water District partners with cities and the county to provide open space and recreational opportunities.

Groundwater

Ensuring a reliable supply
Groundwater is integral to the county’s water supply. The Water District replenishes the groundwater basin with local and imported water to help ensure a reliable drinking water supply, even during droughts.

Ensuring a safe supply
The Water District works to protect the quality of local groundwater from numerous threats. Aggressively responding to pollutants such as MTBE, PCE, TCE and perchlorate, the District’s groundwater quality programs identify and evaluate threats to groundwater quality and prevent or mitigate contamination.

Understanding the groundwater basin
The more the Water District learns about the basin, the better it can prepare for the future. Improving the District’s understanding of the complexity of the groundwater basin is critical, and groundwater monitoring programs provide crucial data to assist in evaluating and managing the county’s groundwater resource.


Drinking Water

Water supply
More than half the water used in Santa Clara County is imported through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The rest comes from groundwater and rain captured in 10 local reservoirs.

Water conveyance
The Water District operates a complex system that includes nearly 100 miles of pipelines, 17 miles of canals and three pump stations that move water from those sources to treatment plants, groundwater recharge basins or stream discharges.

The treatment process
The Water District operates three water treatment plants, producing as many as 220 million gallons a day of clean, safe drinking water. Current upgrades at two of these plants will further improve drinking water quality and system reliability.

Water distribution
From the treatment plants, water travels through more than 41 miles of pipelines throughout the valley. As a wholesaler, the Water District provides water to 13 retailers, including private and municipal water systems, which deliver water to the homes and businesses of the county’s more than 1.7 million residents.