Monthly Water Tracker

As of November 1, 2021

The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies Santa Clara County as being in an extreme to exceptional drought. After two consecutive dry years and due to low imported water allocations, end of 2021 groundwater storage is projected to be in Stage 1 (Normal) of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan without additional water use reduction. Valley Water has secured emergency water supplies and ramped up water conservation programs and outreach. Valley Water will rely more on imported water and water conservation in the next 10 years while Anderson Reservoir storage is unavailable due to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order to drain the reservoir. The Board of Directors adopted a resolution on June 9, 2021, declaring a water shortage emergency condition and calling for water use restrictions of 15% relative to 2019. Many cities and retailers have enacted water use prohibitions. Making conservation a California way of life is especially critical during this extreme drought. 

Weather

• Rainfall in Santa Clara County

          -  Month of October, City of San José: 2.72 inches

• Month of October, San José average daily high temperature = 74.6 degrees Fahrenheit

Local Reservoirs

Current local reservoir storage

• Total November 1 storage: 19,271 acre-feet

  • 29% of 20-year average for that date
  • 11.6% of total unrestricted capacity
  • 31% of restricted capacity (166,140 acre-feet total storage capacity limited by seismic restrictions to 62,362 acre-feet

• Approximately 180 acre-feet of imported water delivered into Calero Reservoirs during October 2021
• Approximately 91 acre-feet of water released from Anderson Reservoir during October 2021.  Since the FERC order to drawdown Anderson Reservoir was issued on February 20, 2020, cumulative release from Anderson is approximately 30,771 acre-feet.  Majority of released water was for water supply
• Total estimated releases to streams (local and imported water) during October was 3,630 acre-feet (based on preliminary hydrologic data)

Groundwater

Groundwater levels are lower countywide compared to this time last year.  However, over the last month, water levels have stabilized in most parts of the county and have increased in some areas.  Groundwater storage at the end of 2021 is projected to be in Stage 1 (Normal) of Valley Water’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan

Imported Water

• 2021 State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP) allocations:
  • 2021 SWP allocation of 5%, which provides 5,000 acre-feet to Valley Water
  • Valley Water received conditional approval for a 2021 CVP allocation of 71,500 acre-feet, based on Valley Water's public health and safety needs.  However, the availability of the allocation is subject to hydrological and other system limitations
• Statewide reservoir storage information, as of October 31, 2021:
  • Shasta Reservoir at 22% of capacity (41% of average for this date)
  • Oroville Reservoir at 28% of capacity (54% of average for this date)
  • San Luis Reservoir at 14% of capacity (31% of average for this date)
• Daily current state-wide reservoir storage summary (map) (table)
• Valley Water's Semitropic groundwater bank reserves are at 90% of capacity, or 315,448 acre-feet as of     September 30, 2021
• Estimated SFPUC deliveries to Santa Clara County:
  • Month of September = 4,521 acre-feet
  • 2021 Total to Date = 37,035 acre-feet
  • Five-year annual average = 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.  No imported water agreements have been executed under EL-5.5.5 since the last Water Tracker update

Treated Water

• Below average demands of 8,113 acre-feet delivered in October
• This total is 78% of the five-year average for the month of October
• Year-to-date deliveries are 82,995 acre-feet or 95% of the five-year average

Conserved Water

• Saved 74,198 acre-feet in FY20 from long-term 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, for the public to limit irrigation of ornamental landscapes with potable water to a maximum of three days per week, and for retailers, cities and the County to implement local water restrictions
• The community continued to increase its drought-related conservation from June 2021, with September 2021 water use approximately 7% less than September 2019 water use

Recycled Water

• Estimated October 2021 production = 1,524 acre-feet
• Estimated year-to-date through October = 14,923 acre-feet or 96% of the five-year average
• Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center produced an estimated 1.6 billion gallons (4,864 acre-feet) of purified water in 2020.  Since the beginning of 2021, about 4,830 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