Valley Water hosts a paint day to kick off the Pilot Mural Art Project

August 16, 2022

paintday10-1 — Volunteers are busy painting the mural on the side of Valley Water's Blossom Hill Annex building.

One of Valley Water’s priorities under the voter-approved Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program is to support public health and safety for our community. This includes creating safe, clean spaces for Santa Clara County residents to enjoy. Through the Public Art Program, Valley Water aims to repurpose and beautify Valley Water property and help deter graffiti and trash that line our creeks.

The Mural Art Pilot Project, under the Public Art Program, is a first-of-its-kind project for Valley Water. A blank wall on the side of the Blossom Hill Annex building at Valley Water's headquarters in San Jose will turn into a colorful mural for the community to enjoy. This location is perfect for Valley Water’s first mural as it sits next to a busy street, a creek, a trail and a bus stop, which is also an existing graffiti hot spot.

Valley Water is collaborating with local artist Paul J. Gonzalez on the mural to demonstrate the core pillars supporting our mission to provide Santa Clara County with safe, clean water, flood protection and environmental stewardship.

Valley Water’s Youth Commissioners worked with Paul to create a design that captures the environmental and cultural diversity among Valley Water professionals, residents, and species in Santa Clara County. The Board-approved design highlights Valley Water’s technology and innovation using modernized purple recycled water pipelines. The mural also depicts the different water sources and water-efficient actions required to protect our water resources and sustain life in our county.

On Saturday, July 23, Valley Water hosted a paint day to get the project started. Volunteers from our Board of Directors, Youth Commission and Water Ambassadors came out to give Paul J. Gonzalez a hand with the first stage of painting. Please check out the images below to see the project start to come to life!

For more information on the Mural Project, visit valleywater.org/muralartproject.

img_8660-1 — Artist Paul J. Gonzalez speaks to volunteers before the painting begins.

Valley Water Board Director Richard Santos speaks to Paul J. Gonzalez about the new mural.

Artist Paul J. Gonzalez gives our Valley Water staff a big thumbs-up for all their help during the paint day!

Valley Water Board Director Nai Hsueh congratulates the Valley Water Youth Commission on a job well done.

The mural outline photographed from Blossom Hill Road.

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. Valley Water 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 280 acres of groundwater recharge ponds and 350 miles of waterways. 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.