Santa Clara Valley Water District's Fast Facts piece which provides an overview of the water district’s mission, projects and programs.

1. CONTACT US
For more information:
• Contact us at (408) 265-2600
• Visit valleywater.org
Follow us on: /scvwd /valleywater /valleywater
• Use our Access Valley Water customer request
and information system.With three easy steps, you
can use this service to find out the latest information
on the project or to submit questions, complaints or
compliments directly to a water district staff person.
District Fast Facts
Who we are
Founded in 1929, the Santa Clara Valley Water
District provides safe, clean water; flood protection;
and stewardship of streams.
Value of water
Water is life: Most of the human body consists of
water, and we need water to maintain the normal
functioning of our bodies and minds. Clean, safe
water is imperative not just to human health but also
to the health of the environment. Clean, flowing water
promotes healthy ecosystems, enhancing the natural
beauty of Santa Clara County and the quality of life
of our residents and visitors.
Water and the economy: A reliable supply of clean,
safe water sustains a thriving economy. A 2013 study
estimated that water shortages of 10-30 percent
would result in a decrease in economic activity of
$883 million to more than $10 billion in Santa Clara
County alone.
Water is a bargain: At less than half a penny a
gallon, tap water is a bargain. One person uses, on
average, 75 gallons of water a day in Silicon Valley
for everything from drinking to bathing – less than $1
worth of water. Replacing those gallons of tap water
with bottled water would cost about $75
a day. That’s more than $27,000 a year!
Watersheds:floodprotectionandstreamstewardship
Floodprotectionprojects:Thewaterdistrictmanagesabout275milesofcreeksin
SantaClaraCounty.Toprovidefloodprotectiontothecounty’sgrowingcommunity,
webuildprojectssuchastheGuadalupeRiverandLowerSilverCreekflood
protectionprojectsandmanageourfloodprotectioninfrastructure.Ourprojects
haveprotectednearly100,000parcels,andwehave18projectstoprotect
25,000moreoverthenext5years.
Watersources
Importedwater:SnowmeltfromtheSierraNevadatravelshundredsofmilesthrough
rivers,intotheSacramento-SanJoaquinDeltaandthentoSantaClaraCounty
treatmentplantsorgroundwaterbasins,whereitaccountsforhalfthewaterweuse
here.Contractswiththestateandfederalgovernmentdeterminehowmuch
“imported”SierraNevadawaterwereceiveeachyear.
Groundwater:SantaClaraCounty’slargestreservoirisbeneathourfeet.
Ourgroundwaterbasinsholdmorewaterthanour10surfacereservoirscombined.
AsthegroundwatermanagementagencyforSantaClaraCounty,weactively
manageourgroundwaterbasins,replenishingthemwithlocalandimportedwater
throughourpercolationpondsandstreambeds.Ifwaterispumpedoutofthe
groundfasterthanitisreplaced,theresultcanbethesinkingofthelandelevation.
Calledsubsidence,thiscanhavecostlyeffectsoninfrastructureandwaterquality.
Maintainingourgroundwaterlevelsiscriticalforensuringareliablewatersupply,
storingwaterforuseduringdroughtsandshortages,andpreventingsubsidence.
Purifiedwater:Purifyingrecycledwaterprovidesadrought-proof,locallycontrolled
watersupplythatwillhelpusmeettheneedsofSiliconValleynowandintothe
future.TheSiliconValleyAdvancedWaterPurificationCenter,thelargest
purificationfacilityinNorthernCalifornia,purifiesrecycledwatertonear-distilled
qualityusingproventechnology—microfiltration,reverseosmosisandultraviolet
disinfection.Theresultis8milliongallonsadayofhighlypurifiedwaterthatmeets
California’sstrictdrinkingwaterqualitystandards.purewaterSV.org
Conservation:Waterconservationisanessentialcomponentinprovidingareliable
watersupplytocurrentandfuturegenerations.Ourlong-termwatersupplyplancalls
forannualwatersavingsofmorethan32billiongallonsperyearby2030.Since
thelate1980s,thepopulationofSantaClaraCountyhasincreasedbyroughly
25percent,yetwateruseoverthattimehasremainedrelativelyflat.
By the numbers
Members of the Board of Directors: 7
Employees: 752
Fiscal Year 2015-2016 budget:
$478 million
Safe Clean Water and Natural Flood
Protection Projects: 28
Dams and surface reservoirs: 10
Water Treatment Plants: 3
Advanced Water Purification Center: 1
Miles of streams managed: 275
Stream maintenance: Each year, water district crews can be seen out in our
creeks working to remove sediment, stabilize banks and remove vegetation.
This work is critical for maintaining our waterways and preparing for the rainy
season. Controlling sediment in streams ensures flood protection projects
continue to provide maximum flood protection.
Sandbags: You can download a map with a listing of sandbag sites by visiting
www.valleywater.org/sandbags/
Healthy creeks and ecosystems: Approximately 1/3 of the more than 800 miles
of creeks and rivers in Santa Clara County are owned by the water district.
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.
The water district also partners with cities and the county to provide open space
and recreational opportunities at many of its 10 reservoirs and along creeks
throughout the county. Since 2000, public access to more than 70 miles of new
creekside trails has been made available in the county. For more information
about local watersheds, go to www.valleywater.org/WoW.aspx
Watersupply
Dams/Reservoirs:SantaClaraCounty’s10reservoirsholdenoughwaterfor
340,000familiesoffiveforoneyear.Theycatchstormrunoffthatotherwise
wouldflowintoSanFranciscoBay.
Watertreatmentplants:Weoperatethreewatertreatmentplantsthatcleanand
disinfectimportedwaterandwaterfromfourofourlocalreservoirs.Thethree
watertreatmentplantscanproduceasmuchas220milliongallonsofdrinking
wateraday.
Waterqualitylaboratory:Ensuringallofourwatersuppliesaresafeandclean
isourhighestpriority,andwecontinuouslytestourwaterqualityinSantaClara
Countytodoso.Thewaterdistrict’sstate-of-the-artwaterqualitylabperformed
nearly175,000testsin2014.
Wetestwaterproducedfromeachofourthreewatertreatmentplants,our
SiliconValleyAdvancedWaterPurificationCenter,ourreservoirsand
groundwaterbasins.Ourtreatedwaterconsistentlymeetsorisbetterthanall
applicablewaterqualityregulatorystandards,andthesestandardsare
becomingincreasinglystringentastechnologyisdevelopedtodetect
contaminantsatveryminutelevels.
© 2015 Santa Clara Valley Water District • PUB 028 • 11/2015 ET

2. CONTACTUS
Formoreinformation:
•Contactusat(408)265-2600
•Visitvalleywater.org
Followuson:/scvwd/valleywater/valleywater
•UseourAccessValleyWatercustomerrequest
andinformationsystem.Withthreeeasysteps,you
canusethisservicetofindoutthelatestinformation
ontheprojectortosubmitquestions,complaintsor
complimentsdirectlytoawaterdistrictstaffperson.
DistrictFastFacts
Whoweare
Foundedin1929,theSantaClaraValleyWater
Districtprovidessafe,cleanwater;floodprotection;
andstewardshipofstreams.
Valueofwater
Waterislife:Mostofthehumanbodyconsistsof
water,andweneedwatertomaintainthenormal
functioningofourbodiesandminds.Clean,safe
waterisimperativenotjusttohumanhealthbutalso
tothehealthoftheenvironment.Clean,flowingwater
promoteshealthyecosystems,enhancingthenatural
beautyofSantaClaraCountyandthequalityoflife
ofourresidentsandvisitors.
Waterandtheeconomy:Areliablesupplyofclean,
safewatersustainsathrivingeconomy.A2013study
estimatedthatwatershortagesof10-30percent
wouldresultinadecreaseineconomicactivityof
$883milliontomorethan$10billioninSantaClara
Countyalone.
Waterisabargain:Atlessthanhalfapennya
gallon,tapwaterisabargain.Onepersonuses,on
average,75gallonsofwateradayinSiliconValley
foreverythingfromdrinkingtobathing–lessthan$1
worthofwater.Replacingthosegallonsoftapwater
withbottledwaterwouldcostabout$75
aday.That’smorethan$27,000ayear!
Watersheds: flood protection and stream stewardship
Flood protection projects: The water district manages about 275 miles of creeks in
Santa Clara County. To provide flood protection to the county’s growing community,
we build projects such as the Guadalupe River and Lower Silver Creek flood
protection projects and manage our flood protection infrastructure. Our projects
have protected nearly 100,000 parcels, and we have 18 projects to protect
25,000 more over the next 5 years.
Water sources
Imported water: Snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada travels hundreds of miles through
rivers, into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and then to Santa Clara County
treatment plants or groundwater basins, where it accounts for half the water we use
here. Contracts with the state and federal government determine how much
“imported” Sierra Nevada water we receive each year.
Groundwater: Santa Clara County’s largest reservoir is beneath our feet.
Our groundwater basins hold more water than our 10 surface reservoirs combined.
As the groundwater management agency for Santa Clara County, we actively
manage our groundwater basins, replenishing them with local and imported water
through our percolation ponds and stream beds. If water is pumped out of the
ground faster than it is replaced, the result can be the sinking of the land elevation.
Called subsidence, this can have costly effects on infrastructure and water quality.
Maintaining our groundwater levels is critical for ensuring a reliable water supply,
storing water for use during droughts and shortages, and preventing subsidence.
Purified water: Purifying recycled water provides a drought-proof, locally controlled
water supply that will help us meet the needs of Silicon Valley now and into the
future. The Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center, the largest
purification facility in Northern California, purifies recycled water to near-distilled
quality using proven technology—microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet
disinfection. The result is 8 million gallons a day of highly purified water that meets
California’s strict drinking water quality standards. purewaterSV.org
Conservation: Water conservation is an essential component in providing a reliable
water supply to current and future generations. Our long-term water supply plan calls
for annual water savings of more than 32 billion gallons per year by 2030. Since
the late 1980s, the population of Santa Clara County has increased by roughly
25 percent, yet water use over that time has remained relatively flat.
Bythenumbers
MembersoftheBoardofDirectors:7
Employees:752
FiscalYear2015-2016budget:
$478million
SafeCleanWaterandNaturalFlood
ProtectionProjects:28
Damsandsurfacereservoirs:10
WaterTreatmentPlants:3
AdvancedWaterPurificationCenter:1
Milesofstreamsmanaged:275
Streammaintenance:Eachyear,waterdistrictcrewscanbeseenoutinour
creeksworkingtoremovesediment,stabilizebanksandremovevegetation.
Thisworkiscriticalformaintainingourwaterwaysandpreparingfortherainy
season.Controllingsedimentinstreamsensuresfloodprotectionprojects
continuetoprovidemaximumfloodprotection.
Sandbags:Youcandownloadamapwithalistingofsandbagsitesbyvisiting
www.valleywater.org/sandbags/
Healthycreeksandecosystems:Approximately1/3ofthemorethan800miles
ofcreeksandriversinSantaClaraCountyareownedbythewaterdistrict.
Thehealthofacreekreflectstheconditionsthroughoutthewatershed,notjust
thosealongitsbanks.Thewaterdistrict'senvironmentalworkprotectsand
restoreshabitatsandencouragesthereturnofendangeredspeciessuchasthe
red-leggedfrog,steelheadtroutandsaltmarshharvestmouse.
Thewaterdistrictalsopartnerswithcitiesandthecountytoprovideopenspace
andrecreationalopportunitiesatmanyofits10reservoirsandalongcreeks
throughoutthecounty.Since2000,publicaccesstomorethan70milesofnew
creeksidetrailshasbeenmadeavailableinthecounty.Formoreinformation
aboutlocalwatersheds,gotowww.valleywater.org/WoW.aspx
Water supply
Dams/Reservoirs: Santa Clara County’s 10 reservoirs hold enough water for
340,000 families of five for one year. They catch storm runoff that otherwise
would flow into San Francisco Bay.
Water treatment plants: We operate three water treatment plants that clean and
disinfect imported water and water from four of our local reservoirs. The three
water treatment plants can produce as much as 220 million gallons of drinking
water a day.
Water quality laboratory: Ensuring all of our water supplies are safe and clean
is our highest priority, and we continuously test our water quality in Santa Clara
County to do so. The water district’s state-of-the-art water quality lab performed
nearly 175,000 tests in 2014.
We test water produced from each of our three water treatment plants, our
Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center, our reservoirs and
groundwater basins. Our treated water consistently meets or is better than all
applicable water quality regulatory standards, and these standards are
becoming increasingly stringent as technology is developed to detect
contaminants at very minute levels.
©2015SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrict•PUB028•11/2015ET

3. Water Sources
55% Imported
30% Local
5% Recycled
10% Conservation
Lenihan Dam/
Lexington
Reservoir
Guadalupe
Reservoir
Almaden
Reservoir
Calero
Reservoir
Vasona
Reservoir
Stevens Creek
Reservoir
Chesbro Reservoir
Uvas
Reservoir
Coyote
Reservoir
San
Franci
squito Creek
StevensCreek
Cala
b
azasCreek
San
TomasAquinoCreek
GuadalupeRiver
Los
Gato s
Creek
Upp
er Penite
ncia
Creek
Alamitos
Creek
Coyote
Creek
Coyote
Creek
Uvas
Creek
Llaga
sCreek
Pajaro
River
CoyoteCreek
Saratoga
Creek
San Francisco
Bay
To Monterey Bay
Uvas-Llagas
Transfer Pipeline
Madrone
Channel
N
Almaden
Calero
Canal
Santa Clara Valley Water District Infrastructure
Pump PlantsLakes, reservoirs, rivers, creeks, & bays
Legend
Drinking Water Treatment Plants Percolation PondsRaw water pipeline Drinking water pipeline Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification CenterSouth County Regional Wastewater Authority
Anderson
Reservoir
Gilroy
San Jose
Downtown
San Jose
Palo Alto
Sunnyvale
Milpitas
Santa
Clara
Saratoga
Cupertino
Los Altos Hills
Los Gatos
Morgan
Hill
Mountain
View
Campbell
Los Altos
Monte
Sereno
Coyote Pump Plant
Rinconada Water
Treatment Plant
Jacques Gulch Environmental
Restoration Project
Water Quality Lab
Silicon Valley Advanced
Water Purification Center
Guadalupe River
Flood Protection Project
Madrone Channel
Percolation Ponds
Pond A8 Habitat
Restoration Project

4. CONTACTUS
Formoreinformation:
•Contactusat(408)265-2600
•Visitvalleywater.org
Followuson:/scvwd/valleywater/valleywater
•UseourAccessValleyWatercustomerrequest
andinformationsystem.Withthreeeasysteps,you
canusethisservicetofindoutthelatestinformation
ontheprojectortosubmitquestions,complaintsor
complimentsdirectlytoawaterdistrictstaffperson.
DistrictFastFacts
Whoweare
Foundedin1929,theSantaClaraValleyWater
Districtprovidessafe,cleanwater;floodprotection;
andstewardshipofstreams.
Valueofwater
Waterislife:Mostofthehumanbodyconsistsof
water,andweneedwatertomaintainthenormal
functioningofourbodiesandminds.Clean,safe
waterisimperativenotjusttohumanhealthbutalso
tothehealthoftheenvironment.Clean,flowingwater
promoteshealthyecosystems,enhancingthenatural
beautyofSantaClaraCountyandthequalityoflife
ofourresidentsandvisitors.
Waterandtheeconomy:Areliablesupplyofclean,
safewatersustainsathrivingeconomy.A2013study
estimatedthatwatershortagesof10-30percent
wouldresultinadecreaseineconomicactivityof
$883milliontomorethan$10billioninSantaClara
Countyalone.
Waterisabargain:Atlessthanhalfapennya
gallon,tapwaterisabargain.Onepersonuses,on
average,75gallonsofwateradayinSiliconValley
foreverythingfromdrinkingtobathing–lessthan$1
worthofwater.Replacingthosegallonsoftapwater
withbottledwaterwouldcostabout$75
aday.That’smorethan$27,000ayear!
Watersheds: flood protection and stream stewardship
Flood protection projects: The water district manages about 275 miles of creeks in
Santa Clara County. To provide flood protection to the county’s growing community,
we build projects such as the Guadalupe River and Lower Silver Creek flood
protection projects and manage our flood protection infrastructure. Our projects
have protected nearly 100,000 parcels, and we have 18 projects to protect
25,000 more over the next 5 years.
Water sources
Imported water: Snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada travels hundreds of miles through
rivers, into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and then to Santa Clara County
treatment plants or groundwater basins, where it accounts for half the water we use
here. Contracts with the state and federal government determine how much
“imported” Sierra Nevada water we receive each year.
Groundwater: Santa Clara County’s largest reservoir is beneath our feet.
Our groundwater basins hold more water than our 10 surface reservoirs combined.
As the groundwater management agency for Santa Clara County, we actively
manage our groundwater basins, replenishing them with local and imported water
through our percolation ponds and stream beds. If water is pumped out of the
ground faster than it is replaced, the result can be the sinking of the land elevation.
Called subsidence, this can have costly effects on infrastructure and water quality.
Maintaining our groundwater levels is critical for ensuring a reliable water supply,
storing water for use during droughts and shortages, and preventing subsidence.
Purified water: Purifying recycled water provides a drought-proof, locally controlled
water supply that will help us meet the needs of Silicon Valley now and into the
future. The Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center, the largest
purification facility in Northern California, purifies recycled water to near-distilled
quality using proven technology—microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet
disinfection. The result is 8 million gallons a day of highly purified water that meets
California’s strict drinking water quality standards. purewaterSV.org
Conservation: Water conservation is an essential component in providing a reliable
water supply to current and future generations. Our long-term water supply plan calls
for annual water savings of more than 32 billion gallons per year by 2030. Since
the late 1980s, the population of Santa Clara County has increased by roughly
25 percent, yet water use over that time has remained relatively flat.
Bythenumbers
MembersoftheBoardofDirectors:7
Employees:752
FiscalYear2015-2016budget:
$478million
SafeCleanWaterandNaturalFlood
ProtectionProjects:28
Damsandsurfacereservoirs:10
WaterTreatmentPlants:3
AdvancedWaterPurificationCenter:1
Milesofstreamsmanaged:275
Streammaintenance:Eachyear,waterdistrictcrewscanbeseenoutinour
creeksworkingtoremovesediment,stabilizebanksandremovevegetation.
Thisworkiscriticalformaintainingourwaterwaysandpreparingfortherainy
season.Controllingsedimentinstreamsensuresfloodprotectionprojects
continuetoprovidemaximumfloodprotection.
Sandbags:Youcandownloadamapwithalistingofsandbagsitesbyvisiting
www.valleywater.org/sandbags/
Healthycreeksandecosystems:Approximately1/3ofthemorethan800miles
ofcreeksandriversinSantaClaraCountyareownedbythewaterdistrict.
Thehealthofacreekreflectstheconditionsthroughoutthewatershed,notjust
thosealongitsbanks.Thewaterdistrict'senvironmentalworkprotectsand
restoreshabitatsandencouragesthereturnofendangeredspeciessuchasthe
red-leggedfrog,steelheadtroutandsaltmarshharvestmouse.
Thewaterdistrictalsopartnerswithcitiesandthecountytoprovideopenspace
andrecreationalopportunitiesatmanyofits10reservoirsandalongcreeks
throughoutthecounty.Since2000,publicaccesstomorethan70milesofnew
creeksidetrailshasbeenmadeavailableinthecounty.Formoreinformation
aboutlocalwatersheds,gotowww.valleywater.org/WoW.aspx
Water supply
Dams/Reservoirs: Santa Clara County’s 10 reservoirs hold enough water for
340,000 families of five for one year. They catch storm runoff that otherwise
would flow into San Francisco Bay.
Water treatment plants: We operate three water treatment plants that clean and
disinfect imported water and water from four of our local reservoirs. The three
water treatment plants can produce as much as 220 million gallons of drinking
water a day.
Water quality laboratory: Ensuring all of our water supplies are safe and clean
is our highest priority, and we continuously test our water quality in Santa Clara
County to do so. The water district’s state-of-the-art water quality lab performed
nearly 175,000 tests in 2014.
We test water produced from each of our three water treatment plants, our
Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center, our reservoirs and
groundwater basins. Our treated water consistently meets or is better than all
applicable water quality regulatory standards, and these standards are
becoming increasingly stringent as technology is developed to detect
contaminants at very minute levels.
©2015SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrict•PUB028•11/2015ET

5. CONTACT US
For more information:
• Contact us at (408) 265-2600
• Visit valleywater.org
Follow us on: /scvwd /valleywater /valleywater
• Use our Access Valley Water customer request
and information system.With three easy steps, you
can use this service to find out the latest information
on the project or to submit questions, complaints or
compliments directly to a water district staff person.
District Fast Facts
Who we are
Founded in 1929, the Santa Clara Valley Water
District provides safe, clean water; flood protection;
and stewardship of streams.
Value of water
Water is life: Most of the human body consists of
water, and we need water to maintain the normal
functioning of our bodies and minds. Clean, safe
water is imperative not just to human health but also
to the health of the environment. Clean, flowing water
promotes healthy ecosystems, enhancing the natural
beauty of Santa Clara County and the quality of life
of our residents and visitors.
Water and the economy: A reliable supply of clean,
safe water sustains a thriving economy. A 2013 study
estimated that water shortages of 10-30 percent
would result in a decrease in economic activity of
$883 million to more than $10 billion in Santa Clara
County alone.
Water is a bargain: At less than half a penny a
gallon, tap water is a bargain. One person uses, on
average, 75 gallons of water a day in Silicon Valley
for everything from drinking to bathing – less than $1
worth of water. Replacing those gallons of tap water
with bottled water would cost about $75
a day. That’s more than $27,000 a year!
Watersheds:floodprotectionandstreamstewardship
Floodprotectionprojects:Thewaterdistrictmanagesabout275milesofcreeksin
SantaClaraCounty.Toprovidefloodprotectiontothecounty’sgrowingcommunity,
webuildprojectssuchastheGuadalupeRiverandLowerSilverCreekflood
protectionprojectsandmanageourfloodprotectioninfrastructure.Ourprojects
haveprotectednearly100,000parcels,andwehave18projectstoprotect
25,000moreoverthenext5years.
Watersources
Importedwater:SnowmeltfromtheSierraNevadatravelshundredsofmilesthrough
rivers,intotheSacramento-SanJoaquinDeltaandthentoSantaClaraCounty
treatmentplantsorgroundwaterbasins,whereitaccountsforhalfthewaterweuse
here.Contractswiththestateandfederalgovernmentdeterminehowmuch
“imported”SierraNevadawaterwereceiveeachyear.
Groundwater:SantaClaraCounty’slargestreservoirisbeneathourfeet.
Ourgroundwaterbasinsholdmorewaterthanour10surfacereservoirscombined.
AsthegroundwatermanagementagencyforSantaClaraCounty,weactively
manageourgroundwaterbasins,replenishingthemwithlocalandimportedwater
throughourpercolationpondsandstreambeds.Ifwaterispumpedoutofthe
groundfasterthanitisreplaced,theresultcanbethesinkingofthelandelevation.
Calledsubsidence,thiscanhavecostlyeffectsoninfrastructureandwaterquality.
Maintainingourgroundwaterlevelsiscriticalforensuringareliablewatersupply,
storingwaterforuseduringdroughtsandshortages,andpreventingsubsidence.
Purifiedwater:Purifyingrecycledwaterprovidesadrought-proof,locallycontrolled
watersupplythatwillhelpusmeettheneedsofSiliconValleynowandintothe
future.TheSiliconValleyAdvancedWaterPurificationCenter,thelargest
purificationfacilityinNorthernCalifornia,purifiesrecycledwatertonear-distilled
qualityusingproventechnology—microfiltration,reverseosmosisandultraviolet
disinfection.Theresultis8milliongallonsadayofhighlypurifiedwaterthatmeets
California’sstrictdrinkingwaterqualitystandards.purewaterSV.org
Conservation:Waterconservationisanessentialcomponentinprovidingareliable
watersupplytocurrentandfuturegenerations.Ourlong-termwatersupplyplancalls
forannualwatersavingsofmorethan32billiongallonsperyearby2030.Since
thelate1980s,thepopulationofSantaClaraCountyhasincreasedbyroughly
25percent,yetwateruseoverthattimehasremainedrelativelyflat.
By the numbers
Members of the Board of Directors: 7
Employees: 752
Fiscal Year 2015-2016 budget:
$478 million
Safe Clean Water and Natural Flood
Protection Projects: 28
Dams and surface reservoirs: 10
Water Treatment Plants: 3
Advanced Water Purification Center: 1
Miles of streams managed: 275
Stream maintenance: Each year, water district crews can be seen out in our
creeks working to remove sediment, stabilize banks and remove vegetation.
This work is critical for maintaining our waterways and preparing for the rainy
season. Controlling sediment in streams ensures flood protection projects
continue to provide maximum flood protection.
Sandbags: You can download a map with a listing of sandbag sites by visiting
www.valleywater.org/sandbags/
Healthy creeks and ecosystems: Approximately 1/3 of the more than 800 miles
of creeks and rivers in Santa Clara County are owned by the water district.
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.
The water district also partners with cities and the county to provide open space
and recreational opportunities at many of its 10 reservoirs and along creeks
throughout the county. Since 2000, public access to more than 70 miles of new
creekside trails has been made available in the county. For more information
about local watersheds, go to www.valleywater.org/WoW.aspx
Watersupply
Dams/Reservoirs:SantaClaraCounty’s10reservoirsholdenoughwaterfor
340,000familiesoffiveforoneyear.Theycatchstormrunoffthatotherwise
wouldflowintoSanFranciscoBay.
Watertreatmentplants:Weoperatethreewatertreatmentplantsthatcleanand
disinfectimportedwaterandwaterfromfourofourlocalreservoirs.Thethree
watertreatmentplantscanproduceasmuchas220milliongallonsofdrinking
wateraday.
Waterqualitylaboratory:Ensuringallofourwatersuppliesaresafeandclean
isourhighestpriority,andwecontinuouslytestourwaterqualityinSantaClara
Countytodoso.Thewaterdistrict’sstate-of-the-artwaterqualitylabperformed
nearly175,000testsin2014.
Wetestwaterproducedfromeachofourthreewatertreatmentplants,our
SiliconValleyAdvancedWaterPurificationCenter,ourreservoirsand
groundwaterbasins.Ourtreatedwaterconsistentlymeetsorisbetterthanall
applicablewaterqualityregulatorystandards,andthesestandardsare
becomingincreasinglystringentastechnologyisdevelopedtodetect
contaminantsatveryminutelevels.
© 2015 Santa Clara Valley Water District • PUB 028 • 11/2015 ET