Aaron Baker is the Chief Operating Officer of the Water Utility Enterprise providing a clean, reliable water supply for current and future generations of Santa Clara County. He oversees the Water Utility Enterprise which imports water into the County, manages two groundwater subbasins, three water treatment plants, an advanced water purification center, a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory, ten reservoirs, three pumping stations, numerous recharge facilities in seven major recharge systems, and related distribution facilities.
He has worked for Valley Water for over 20 years and has held the positions of Deputy Operating Officer of Raw Water and Assistant Operating Officer of Treated Water. His experience includes engineering, hydraulic modeling, regulatory permitting and other project support in Capital Program Services, along with engineering and leadership in water treatment, water supply, and flood protection. Some of Aaron’s responsibilities included the continuous operation of the county’s primary water supply system to distribute an average of 300,000 acre-feet per year to water treatment plants, recharge facilities, and other users. He has successfully managed water supply operations through difficult issues including the last drought and interim water supply operations for the Fisheries and Aquatic Collaborative Effort.
Aaron is a State of California Registered Professional Civil Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California.