Back to top

2012 B2: Interagency Urban Runoff Program*

About This Project

This project supports the Valley Water’s continued participation in the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP) and South County programs that help Valley Water reduce stormwater pollution and meet regulatory requirements to reduce contaminants in surface water.

Valley Water also participates in the regulatory development process related to stormwater by providing review, analysis and commentary on various basin plan amendments, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and water bodies listed as impaired or threatened under the federal Clean Water Act. Project B2 also allows Valley Water to maintain regional public education and outreach activities to help prevent urban runoff pollution at the source.

 

*This project was voter approved as part of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program.

Trash Hot Spot Clean Up and Sorting
Datapoints
Status
On Target
Location
Countywide
Schedule
Start FY 2014 / Finish FY 2028
Funding
Safe, Clean Water Fund ($12.6 million); Watershed and Stream Stewardship Fund, Water Utility Enterprise Fund
News and UpdatesNews and Updates
Reports and DocumentsReports and Documents
Environmental and Community BenefitsEnvironmental and Community Benefits
History and BackgroundHistory and Background
News & Updates

Trash capture devices

  • Two trash booms are currently deployed in Lower Silver Creek and Thompson Creek. 

  • Trash booms managed by the City of Palo Alto in Matadero and Adobe Creeks were removed in December for the winter season as required by the joint agreement and will be re-deployed in April.

  • Valley Water staff regularly inspect these trash booms while deployed, and trash is removed as needed. In January 2021, 5 cubic yards of trash were removed from the Lower Silver Creek trash boom.

Partnerships 

  • Valley Water maintained North County partnerships through participation in the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP). Valley Water staff chairs the SCVURPPP Management Committee.

  • Valley Water staff represents SCVURPPP at the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA) and chaired the Bay Area-wide trash committee.

  • Valley Water staff served on the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) Board of Directors.

  • In December 2016, Valley Water, on behalf of SCVURPPP, was awarded a California Proposition 1 grant to develop a Stormwater Resource Plan (SWRP) for the Santa Clara Basin. The SWRP was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board in 2019 and is coordinated with Valley Water’s One Water Plan. Stakeholders from the One Water effort also participated in the development of the SWRP. For more information, please visit Valley Water's One Water Plan website or the SWRP website.

  • Valley Water maintained South County partnerships by participating in the South County Stormwater Coordination Committee. The committee includes representatives from Valley Water, the County, and the Cities of Gilroy and Morgan Hill.  The committee meets regularly to discuss pollution prevention, stormwater permit compliance, and other relevant issues.

  • Valley Water staff submitted the annual stormwater report to the Regional Water Board. 

Pollution prevention activities 

  • Pollution Prevention Activity #1: South County Pajaro River Watershed Pathogen and Microbial Source Tracking Study
    Valley Water staff completed field monitoring in April 2016, assisted in further monitoring of pathogen sources, and prepared a final project report. For a summary of the report, please see here.  

  • Pollution Prevention Activity #2: South County Nutrient Program
    Valley Water performed a spatial analysis of South County agricultural parcels to identify farms at high risk for nutrient and pesticide pollution. The prioritization considered a robust collection of attributes, including, but not limited to, predicted nitrate concentrations in shallow groundwater, crop and irrigation type, and soil erosivity. Valley Water presented the analysis to the South County Stormwater Coordination Committee in 2018. Valley Water is currently developing follow-up actions to reduce nutrient loading in the Uvas/Llagas Watershed.
  • Pollution Prevention Activity #3: South County Storm Water Resource Plan
    Valley Water developed a Stormwater Resource Plan (SWRP) in collaboration with stormwater permittees in South County (Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and County of Santa Clara) to identify and prioritize Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) opportunities that could be eligible for funding. The SWRP is a planning document that uses a map-based approach to identify and prioritize local and regional GSI projects that can be implemented to improve local surface-water quality through enhanced stormwater management. GSI reduces the quantity and improves the quality of water flowing into our creeks, while also providing other possible benefits, including groundwater infiltration, flood attenuation, aesthetics, reduction in heat islands, and other community benefits. The South County Stormwater Resource Plan is available here. Online versions of the maps provided in the plan can be accessed here.

  • Pollution Prevention Activity #4: South County Pet Waste Outreach Project
    Valley Water identified pet waste as a source of bacteria in local South County Creeks. Valley Water is assisting Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and the County with production of mailers and signage for their pet waste outreach project. Signs will be installed in selected areas with pet waste issues in spring 2021. The signs and mailers will provide information on the environmental impacts of improperly disposed pet waste and a link for a survey and pledge. Results of the survey will be shared with Valley Water.

Updated April 2021

For more information:

 

Thumbnail

 

Thompson Creek Trash Boom Clean Up on March 19, 2018, removing approximately 5 cubic yards of trash.

 

Thumbnail

 

Palo Alto Boom at Matadero Creek on July 26, 2017

Thumbnail

 

Environmental & Community Benefits

 Key Performance Indicators for the Safe, Clean Water Program 

  1. Install at least 2 and operate 4 trash capture devices at stormwater outfalls in Santa Clara County. 

  2. Maintain partnerships with cities and County to address surface water quality improvements. 

  3. Support 5 pollution prevention activities to improve surface water quality in Santa Clara County, either independently or collaboratively with South County organizations.

Benefits

  • Uses partnerships with municipalities and local agencies to reduce contaminants and improve surface water quality in our streams, reservoirs, lakes and wetlands

  • Maintains Valley Water compliance with Regional Water Quality Control Board and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits

  • Allows continued participation in SCVURPPP and South County urban runoff programs

  • Promotes stormwater pollution prevention through public outreach

Geographic Area of Benefit 

Countywide 

     

    History & Background

    About the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program

    In November 2012 the voters of Santa Clara County overwhelmingly approved Measure B, the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, as a countywide special parcel tax for 15 years with a sunset date of June 30, 2028. This Program replaced the Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection Plan, which voters approved in November 2000.

    The Safe, Clean Water Program was developed with input from more than 16,000 residents and stakeholders and was created to match the community’s needs and values. The voters of Santa Clara County identified five priorities:

    Priority A: Ensure a Safe, Reliable Water Supply

    Priority B: Reduce Toxins, Hazards and Contaminants in our Waterways

    Priority C: Protect our Water Supply from Earthquakes and Natural Disasters

    Priority D: Restore Wildlife Habitat and Provide Open Space

    Priority E: Provide Flood Protection to Homes, Businesses, Schools and Highways

    Other: Six projects from the Clean, Safe, Creeks Plan have been carried forward into the Safe, Clean Water Program.  

    Each year, Valley Water prepares a report providing a progress update for each of these Program priorities, along with fiscal year accomplishments.

    To ensure transparency and accountability to the voters, the ballot measure also created an Independent Monitoring Committee, appointed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors. The  Independent Monitoring Committee annually reviews the Program’s progress to ensure the outcomes are achieved in a cost-efficient manner and reports its findings to the Board.

    In addition, the Program requires three independent audits, the first of which was conducted in FY 2017.

    View the Safe, Clean Water Program’s annual reports, annual IMC audit reports, and independent audits, including a staff response, on the Valley Water website.