Monthly Water Tracker

As of May 2022

Based on continued drought conditions, the imported water allocations are low. The State Water Project allocation is at 5% of contract amount. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has reduced the 2022 Municipal and Industrial allocation from 25% to zero but is considering Valley Water’s request for a Public Health and Safety allocation. Santa Clara County continues to be in a water shortage emergency. Due to severe drought and increased reliance on imported water in the next 10 years while Anderson Reservoir storage is unavailable, meeting the Board of Directors call for 15% water use reduction relative to 2019 is essential.

Weather

• Rainfall in Santa Clara County
  • Month of April, City of San José: 0.4 inches
  • Rainfall year total = 8.35 inches or 59% of average to date (rainfall year is July 1 to June 30)
• Snowfall in the Northern Sierra
  • April 29 snowpack was 32% of normal for this date

Local Reservoirs

Current local reservoir storage

• Total May 1 storage: 40,512 acre-feet

  
• Approximately 609 acre-feet of imported water delivered into Calero Reservoirs during April 2022
• Total estimated releases to streams (local and imported water) during April were 3,600 acre-feet (based on preliminary hydrologic data)

Groundwater

Due to Valley Water efforts to secure emergency imported water, groundwater conditions remain good despite the ongoing drought. However, seasonal water level decline has begun, with greater than average declines expected this year. Water levels in most wells are equal to or lower than April 2021 and are expected to end this year lower than last year. The end of 2022 groundwater storage is projected to be in low Stage 1 (Normal) of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan, if the USBR grants Valley Water’s request for public health and safety supplies.   Valley Water continues to plan for dry and rapidly evolving conditions

Imported Water

• No imported water agreements executed under EL-5.3.3 since the last Water Tracker

Click here to find the State-Wide Reservoir Storage map and table

Treated Water

• Above average demands of 6,920 acre-feet (estimated) delivered in April
• This total is 100% of the five-year average for the month of April
• Year-to-date estimated deliveries are 24,133 acre-feet or 104% of the five-year average

Conserved Water

• Saved 76,584 acre-feet in FY21 through Valley Water's long-term conservation program (baseline year is 1992)
• Long-term program goal is to save nearly 100,000 acre-feet by 2030 and 110,000 acre-feet by 2040
• On June 9, 2021, the Board called for a 15% reduction in water use compared to 2019 and for retailers, cities, and the County to implement local water restrictions.  On April 12, 2022, the Board called for the public to limit irrigation of ornamental lawns and landscapes with potable water to no more than two days per week
• The cumulative water savings since the water use reduction call in June 2021 through March 2022 is 3%

Recycled Water

• Estimated April 2022 production = 1,182 acre-feet
• Estimated year-to-date through April = 3,952 acre-feet or 114% of the five-year average
• Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center produced an estimated 1.7 billion gallons (5,150 acre-feet) of purified water in 2021.  Since the beginning of 2022, about 1,319 acre-feet of purified water has been produced.  The purified water is blended with existing tertiary recycled water for South Bay Water Recycling Program customers

Alternative Sources

• As of December 10, 2019, Valley Water's wastewater contract right from Palo Alto/Mountain View remains at 11,200 acre-feet/year