Because of the importance of our groundwater basin, the water district
monitors groundwater
quality through sampling water from a number of deep wells located
throughout the county.
Our Leaking Underground
Storage Tank Oversight Program and Solvents
and Toxics Liaison Program works to stop contamination before
they contaminate the groundwater.
Urban runoff contributes to our water quality. The water district
participates in the Santa
Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program to help
prevent it.
The Silicon Valley Pollution
Prevention Center is another partner with the district in the
effort to educate and encourage county residents to prevent pollution
from reaching our creeks and rivers.
The water district continues to identify
potential management practices to improve source water quality
and reduce the impact of potential contaminant sources.
The
Source Water Assessment and Protection page outlines these efforts
and provides links to the Drinking Water Source Assessment and Protection
(DWSAP) reports.
Perchlorate
was recently identified as a threat to drinking water wells in south
county. Learn about the district's efforts to assist the Regional
Water Quality Control Board in managing this critical issue.
MTBE poses a major threat
to the water supply. Even a small amount can contaminate a large
body of water. The water district was one of the first to call for
its ban.
For people who use a private well, here is some information about
nitrates in drinking water
wells.