Pipeline Maintenance Program (PMP) Final Program Environmental Impact Report and Engineer’s Report
What: Notice of Availability of Final Program EIR; Notice of In-person and Virtual Public Hearing and Board Meeting on the Final EIR and Engineer’s Report for the Pipeline Maintenance Program (PMP)
Notice of Availability of Final Program EIR: Notice of In-person and Virtual Public Hearing and Board Meeting on the Final EIR and Engineer’s Report for the Pipeline Maintenance Program (PMP)
Topic: PMP Final Program Environmental Impact Report and Engineer’s Report
Who: Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water)
When: Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Valley Water Headquarters Building Boardroom
5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA
and by Zoom Teleconference at https://valleywater.zoom.us/j/84454515597
Why: The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water), as the lead agency for the proposed Project, has completed a Final Program EIR to evaluate environmental impacts. The Final EIR was prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., § 15000 et seq.).
To review or download the Final Environmental Impact Report see links below:
The proposed work of improvement is described in the Pipeline Maintenance Program Engineer’s Report.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) owns, operates, and maintains over 150 miles of raw, treated, and recycled water conveyance pipelines throughout Santa Clara County and within small portions of San Benito and Merced Counties. Valley Water first approved the PMP in 2007, recognizing the need to centralize and document the inspections and preventative and corrective maintenance procedures that the engineering and maintenance staff had historically implemented on the raw, treated, and recycled water pipeline facilities (that are covered under the PMP) on a routine basis. The PMP is primarily a process and procedural manual that provides long-term guidance for the implementation of pipeline inspection and maintenance work and has been successfully implemented over the last 15 years; however, maintenance processes, tracking systems, and the regulatory and physical environment have changed over this timeframe.
Valley Water has determined that an update to the PMP would allow for capturing these changes and expanding the program to include the 10-Year Pipeline Inspection & Rehabilitation Program and align it with other facility maintenance activities, which would increase the utility and effectiveness of the PMP. The 10-YR Pipeline Inspection & Rehabilitation Program involves planning for the condition assessment, design, and construction activities required for renewal of Valley Water’s large diameter pipelines and tunnels.
The 2024 PMP is therefore the update to the 2007 PMP. The PMP work includes updating the environmental documents, program budget, and creating projects to inspect and rehabilitate the pipelines that Valley Water owns or maintains to ensure the delivery of clean and safe water to Valley Water customers.
The Final Program EIR identified significant direct and cumulative environmental impacts related to aesthetics, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, noise and vibration, and tribal cultural resources. Most of these impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels with the implementation of mitigation measures. Impacts on noise would remain significant and unavoidable, despite efforts to mitigate them with feasible mitigation measures. None of the Project components are proposed on hazardous waste sites listed under Government Code § 65962.5.
The Final Program EIR may be viewed at https://www.valleywater.org/project-updates/public-review-documents. The Final Program EIR is also available for in-person review at the Valley Water headquarters located at: 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118.
At the April 22, 2025, public hearing and Board meeting, public comments will be accepted on the Final Program EIR and Project. The Board will then consider certifying the Final Program EIR and approving the proposed Project or an alternative. For more information about the public hearing and Board meeting, please visit the Board meetings webpage at: https://scvwd.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx