Valley Water celebrates National Water Quality Month

August is National Water Quality Month, a time to reflect on the importance of protecting one of our most vital resources: water. Clean water is essential to our health, our environment, and our economy. Across the country, communities and organizations use this month to raise awareness about challenges facing water systems and the efforts to keep our water safe.

People often take water quality for granted until it’s threatened by pollution, drought, or aging infrastructure. This month reminds us that protecting water helps protect our health, ecosystems, and future. From testing and treatment to engineering and community engagement, water providers play a key role every day.

At Valley Water, we take that commitment seriously. Our year-round mission is to provide Santa Clara County with safe, clean water, so every month is Water Quality Month.

From the source

Our water quality efforts begin at the source. Valley Water’s Water Quality Unit, with support from the Water Quality Laboratory, leads a comprehensive source water quality monitoring and management program.

Together, the teams monitor water quality conditions in our reservoirs, watersheds, tributaries, pipelines, and some imported water sources to understand changing conditions and identify potential concerns before water reaches our treatment plants. We also collaborate with state and local agencies to share information and obtain additional data for imported water. Together, these efforts help us understand source water conditions and provide our treatment plants with the information they need to prepare for changes that could affect treatment.

Protecting our source water also means staying ahead of new and emerging challenges. The Water Quality Unit monitors concerns such as algal toxins, taste-and-odor compounds, microplastics, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The team also focuses on invasive mussels, including golden mussels, which can threaten water sources and infrastructure. To help mitigate these risks, the team has developed prevention programs and response plans.

At the plants

Before water reaches your tap, it’s treated at one of our three treatment plants: Santa Teresa, Penitencia and Rinconada. Licensed water plant operators at our plants work to clean and disinfect imported water and water stored in four local reservoirs. Our water treatment plants combined can produce as much as 220 million gallons of drinking water daily. Learn more about our water treatment process.

The Water Quality Unit works closely with our treatment plant operators to troubleshoot issues and find ways to improve treatment processes. Their work often involves conducting bench-scale and pilot-scale tests, testing different chemical dosages and measuring the effects under various conditions. These tests are crucial for evaluating how changes in the treatment process can improve water quality. 

In addition to addressing immediate issues, the Water Quality Unit is involved in long-term projects to optimize treatment processes. The team is always looking for more beneficial ways to operate the treatment plants, whether by reducing costs, improving safety, or implementing better technologies.

Valley Water is currently making key upgrades at our water treatment plants to upgrade critical water treatment infrastructure. These improvements are part of a long-term plan to maintain and modernize the county's water treatment infrastructure and continue to deliver safe, high-quality drinking water.

We also operate the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center, which treats wastewater by using microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light disinfection. The result is water so clean that it meets California’s drinking water standards — though for now, it’s used for non-drinking purposes like irrigation. Through our Purified Water Project, we aim to use this water to help support our future water supply.

In the lab

A team of chemists, microbiologists, and technicians in Valley Water's state-of-the-art lab protects your water by testing samples from treatment plants, reservoirs, and groundwater for pathogens, nutrients, metals, toxins, and other compounds. These tests ensure we meet or exceed all water quality standards. The lab is accredited with the state's Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program and tests for 29 PFAS compounds. Visit our website to learn more about our PFAS efforts.

From monitoring our water sources and testing samples in the lab, to troubleshooting treatment issues and planning long-term improvements, protecting water quality requires many teams working together. 

Our team works around the clock to ensure Santa Clara County’s water is of the highest quality. Our treated water consistently meets or exceeds all water quality regulatory standards. As we celebrate Water Quality Month, we thank our water resource specialists, Water Quality Unit engineers, treatment plant operators, laboratory staff and everyone dedicated to carrying out that mission. Thank you for all you do!