Monthly Water Tracker

As of April 1, 2019

We began calendar year 2019 with groundwater storage well within Stage 1 (Normal) of Valley Water’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan despite below-normal local rainfall and statewide snow pack in calendar year 2018. As of April 1, the statewide average snowpack water equivalent is well above normal and valley floor precipitation is also above normal. Groundwater storage remains healthy due to previous wet years and continued water use reduction by the community.

Weather

• Rainfall in Santa Clara County
• Month of March, City of San Jose: 2.83 inches
• Rainfall year total = 14.2 inches or 112% of average to date (rainfall year is July 1 to June 30)

Local Reservoirs

Current local reservoir storage

• Total April 1 storage: 105,568 acre-feet

  • 96% of 20-year average for that date
  • 63% of total capacity
  • 94% of restricted capacity (166,808 acre-feet total storage capacity limited by seismic restrictions to 111,963 acre-feet)
• Approximately 22 acre-feet of imported water delivered into local reservoirs during March 2019
• Total estimated releases to streams (local and imported water) during March was 52,200 acre-feet (based on preliminary hydrologic data)

Groundwater

Groundwater Storage:  Total storage at the end of 2019 is predicted to fall within Stage 1 (Normal) of Valley Water's Water Shortage Contingency Plan (click on table to enlarge)

Imported Water

• As of April 2, 2019, the Statewide average snowpack water equivalent is 162% of the historic average for this date
• 2019 State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP) allocations:
  • 2019 SWP allocation of 70%, which provides 70,000 acre-feet to Valley Water
  • 2019 South-of-Delta CVP allocations are 80% for M&I and 55% for Agriculture, which provides 115,705 acre-feet to Valley Water
• Statewide reservoir storage information, as of April 1, 2019:
  • Shasta Reservoir at 89% of capacity (109% of average for this date)
  • Oroville Reservoir at 81% of capacity (106% of average for this date)
  • San Luis Reservoir at 99% of capacity (110% of average for this date)
• Valley Water's Semitropic groundwater bank reserves are at 84% of capacity, or 294,105 acre-feet as of February 28, 2019
• Estimated SFPUC deliveries to Santa Clara County:
  • Month of February = 2,566 acre-feet
  • 2019 Total to Date = 5,050 acre-feet
  • Five-year annual average is 48,700 acre-feet
• Board Governance Policy No. EL-5.3.3 includes keeping the Board informed of imported water management activities on an ongoing basis.  In calendar year 2019, one imported water management agreement were executed as of April 2, 2019

Treated Water

• Below average demands of 4,569 acre-feet delivered in March
• This total is 81% of the five-year average for the month of March
• Year-to-date deliveries = 15,112 acre-feet or 90% of the five-year average

Conserved Water

• Saved 75,000 acre-feet in FY18 from long-term program (baseline year is 1992)
• Long-term program goal is to save nearly 75,000 acre-feet in FY19
• The Board continues its call for a 20% reduction and a limit of three days per week for irrigation of ornamental landscape with potable water
• Achieved an 18% reduction in water use in calendar year 2019, compared to 2013 (through February)

Recycled Water

• Estimated March 2019 production = 760 acre-feet
• Estimated Year-to-Date through March = 2,500 acre-feet or 87% of the five-year average
• Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center produced an estimated 1.3 billion gallons (4,100 acre-feet) of purified water in 2018.  Since the beginning of 2019, about 700 acre-feet of purified water has been produced.  The purified water is blended with existing tertiary recycled water for South Bay Water Recycling Program's customers