To ensure an adequate and reliable supply of high-quality water, Valley Water has partnered with cities and water retailers in Santa Clara County to develop recycled and purified water supplies. In calendar year 2023, about five percent of the county’s total water use consisted of recycled water, and was used primarily for landscaping, agriculture and industrial activities.
In 2021 Valley Water, in collaboration with local stakeholders, completed the Countywide Water Reuse Master Plan (CoRe Plan). This collaborative strategy integrates and expands recycled and purified water as a local, reliable, environmentally adaptive, and drought-resilient water supply. The CoRe Plan identifies and evaluates future Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) and Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) opportunities, serving as a key component of the region's Water Supply Master Plan.
On February 27, 2024, the Valley Water Board approved moving forward with both a demonstration and a full-scale direct potable reuse project. This strategic shift from a smaller Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) project to a larger-scale DPR initiative was made possible by the recent adoption of DPR regulations on October 1, 2024. Currently, Valley Water is actively working to develop a locally controlled and drought-resilient supply of purified water through the Purified Water Project.
- View the Countywide Water Reuse Master Plan (CoRe Plan)
There are four individual Recycled Water Systems (RWS) providing service in Santa Clara County. These systems receive recycled water from a single Producer (City of Sunnyvale, Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP), South Bay Water Recycling (SBWR), and South County Regional Wastewater Authority(SCRWA)).
Additional information pertaining to each of these systems:
City of Sunnyvale - RWS
RWQCP - RWS
SBWR
- South Bay Water Recycling – Final Report 2015
- South Bay Water Recycling – Final Report 2015 Appendices
- South Bay Water Recycling
South County RWS
- 2015 South County Recycled Water Master Plan Update