Expanding Sustainable Water Supplies

About half of the water we use in Santa Clara County is transported from outside sources, or imported water. This puts us in a particularly vulnerable position during statewide droughts. To protect our groundwater supply from overpumping in dry periods and increase our local water supplies, Valley Water seeks to expand water reuse. Through the Countywide Water Reuse Master Plan, Valley Water and local partners, comprised of wastewater agencies, municipalities and local water retailers, have evaluated various opportunities to expand existing recycled water systems and pursue purification projects that will help bolster our water supplies through increased water reuse in Santa Clara County. Part of this effort includes constructing additional advanced purification facilities to produce purified water for drinkable purposes. One way to accomplish this is by replenishing the groundwater basin with purified water. The purified water would mix with existing groundwater, which can then be used for drinking water purposes. Valley Water’s goal has been to increase the use of recycled water to provide for at least 10 percent of our total county water demands by 2025. To achieve this objective, Valley Water is currently working to increase purified water production for drinking by as much as 11,000 acre-feet per year (AFY) by 2028. That’s enough water for approximately 100,000 people. An additional long-term goal includes increasing the amount of purified water produced for drinking up to 24,000 AFY by 2040.