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Valley Water is prepared for a potentially dry winter

December 30, 2020
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As we enter the winter season, you may have noticed we haven’t seen much rain. The Drought Monitor reports Santa Clara County is currently seeing moderate to severe drought conditions. With less rain, landscaping and gardens may need to be watered more, and ponds and creeks will be lower than usual. But thanks to our residents’ and businesses’ conservation efforts, we are in a strong position to weather a dry winter. While we do bring in more than half of our water supply from outside of the county, our local groundwater basins currently have healthy storage levels.  We also have an emergency supply of water stored in an underground aquifer, enough for all our households for a year.

Making water conservation a way of life will allow us to be in the best condition possible if we enter a new extended period of drought. The Valley Water Board of Directors continues to call for a 20% reduction in water use. Through October, the community had achieved a 17% reduction in water use in the calendar year 2020, compared to water use during 2013, during the last significant drought. To make conservation more effortless, we offer surveys and rebates to help you save water and money.

Consider our Water Wise Survey Program to begin your conservation efforts. We provide a trained irrigation professional to visit your home and evaluate the efficiency of your irrigation system. The Do-it-Yourself Water Wise Indoor Survey Kit is a step-by-step guide to checking your home for leaks and efficiency improvement opportunities.

Meanwhile, our Landscape Rebate Program can help you transform your thirsty yard into a beautiful water-wise landscape and make your irrigation equipment more efficient. You can get $100 for every 100 square feet of lawn you convert through the program for a maximum of $2,000 for residences and $50,000 for businesses or institutions.

Another great way to save water is by installing a Graywater Laundry-to-Landscape system. We offer an incentive of $200 for appropriately connecting a clothes washer to a graywater system. By reusing water, you can drought-proof your landscape, lower your water bill, and help conserve water. Visit our graywater resources page to find what you need to make this a DIY project or find contractors to install it for you!

Please visit www.watersavings.org or call Valley Water’s Conservation Hotline (408) 630-2554 for more information or to sign-up for our Water Wise Survey Program, Landscape or Graywater Laundry-to-Landscape rebates. Working together, we can continue to make conservation a California way of life, especially if we’re facing a potentially dry winter.


Valley Water manages an integrated water resources system that includes the supply of clean, safe water, flood protection and stewardship of streams on behalf of Santa Clara County's 2 million residents. The district effectively manages 10 dams and surface water reservoirs, three water treatment plants, an advanced recycled water purification center, a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory, nearly 285 acres of groundwater recharge ponds and more than 294 miles of streams. We provide wholesale water and groundwater management services to local municipalities and private water retailers who deliver drinking water directly to homes and businesses in Santa Clara County.