Permits for Working on Valley Water Land or Easement
The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) manages 10 dams and reservoirs, three water treatment plants, three pump stations, 108 miles of levees, 140 miles of water transmission pipelines, approximately 333 miles of stream channels, and 393 acres of groundwater recharge facilities.
To protect these resources, Valley Water passed ordinances requiring permits for:
- Any projects or activities on district-owned land and/or on Valley Water easement
- Any activities that may impact Valley Water facilities
- Work relating to wells
Learn more about the Water Resources Protection Ordinance (WRPO)
Encroachment Permits
Encroachment permits are required for any work that takes place on or near Valley Water land, easement, or facility.
To protect these assets, the Community Projects Review Unit administers the Water Resources Protection Ordinance using the Water Resources Protection Manual, provides cost sharing for good neighbor fencing, facilitates land use transactions and joint use agreements, and offers technical assistance to other agencies on how to apply the Guidelines and Standards for Land Use Near Streams.
Apply for an Encroachment Permit orApply to amend or extend an existing permit
Learn more about or apply for Good Neighbor fence cost sharing
To contact the Community Projects Review Unit, call us at (408) 630-2650 or email us at [email protected]
All correspondence and packages related to permitting should be sent to the appropriate mailing addresses below:
USPS mailing address
Community Projects Review Unit
Santa Clara Valley Water District
5750 Almaden Expy
San Jose, CA 95118-3686
Express mailing address
Community Projects Review Unit
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Winfield Warehouse
5905 Winfield Blvd.
San Jose, CA 95123-2428
How do I know what land Valley Water owns?
Please check our interactive web map to get a better understanding of Valley Water's land ownership relative to your work area. Valley Water-owned property is shown in green, while Valley Water easements are shown in yellow. NOTE: In order to protect critical infrastructure locations, the web map does not show fee or easement that covers our pipelines. If you believe Valley Water fee, easement, or pipelines are in your project area, please submit a Public Records Request for plans and/or ownership information.
If you have any questions about your property line, your deed or the County’s Assessor’s Office can provide guidance: https://www.sccassessor.org – Enter your address in “Property Record Search” then click “Print Assessor’s Parcel Map”