COMMITTEE AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Recycled Water Committee
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT: title
Receive Pure Water Silicon Valley Update.
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
Receive an update on the following topics:
A. Demonstration Facility and Full-Scale Direct Potable Reuse Facility at the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center; and
B. Ongoing Outreach
Body
SUMMARY:
A. Update on Demonstration Facility and Full-Scale Direct Potable Reuse Facility at the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) and the Cities of San Jose and Santa Clara (Cities) continue to meet on a regular basis to work on various elements of the Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Demonstration facility. San Jose recently hired a new Senior Environmental Program Manager to work with Valley Water on this project.
The Option Agreement approved by the Valley Water Board and the City Councils in June 2025 is currently routing for execution. The project team continues to develop the charter, which provides a framework for the development of the full-scale facility agreements and is beginning to develop terms for full-scale agreements. Valley Water and the Cities’ staff have completed an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) to reserve space for the full-scale facility. The Valley Water Board is considering approval of the ENA at its February 24, 2026, meeting. San Jose and Santa Clara staff are also working on needed approvals of the ENA.
The procurement for design services for the DPR Demonstration Facility is ongoing as is coordination with the Division of Drinking Water. An Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting was held on January 30 through the National Water Research Institute to review and further discuss additional technical elements of the DPR Demonstration Facility, including the testing and monitoring plan.
In December, staff from the cities and Valley Water met with San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) to discuss Reverse Osmosis Concentrate (ROC) management, including a review of completed and planned future technical studies conducted by Valley Water. RWQCB staff emphasized the importance of these studies, particularly those focused on nature-based solutions (NBS), in supporting potential long-term permitting pathways for the proper management of ROC.
Valley Water and City staff are also coordinating on the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) grant-funded feasibility study, which, once completed, will make the project eligible for construction grant funding. A separate Community Project Funding award of $1,092,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency for planning of the demonstration facility was included in the FY26 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill that Congress passed in January.
Microsoft Corporation continues to work with the City and Valley Water on agreements for access to their future data center and associated changes near the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center.
B. Ongoing Outreach
General Purified Water Outreach
Staff continues to conduct tours of the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center (SVAWPC) and implement outreach initiatives to build support for potable reuse, which include:
• Purified Water Tour Program - In January, 58 visitors toured the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center (SVAWPC) in person and virtually. This includes a private tour for Office of Government Relations consultants, two public tours and a virtual tour for Valley Water’s Youth Commission. Members of the public can find the schedule of public tours and request private tours on the PureWater4U.org website. Public tours are typically held on the first Friday and second Saturday of each month.
• Demonstration Water Bottle Approval and Distribution - In January, staff received approval from the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (DDW) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for the second batch of approximately 16,000 purified water bottles for outreach purposes. This makes Valley Water the first agency in California to receive approval since the new Direct Potable Reuse regulation was released and took effect in October of 2024. A total of 74 purified water bottles from this second batch were distributed in January, which included recipients such as the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies Lab Committee.
Outreach Coordination in Santa Clara County and the Bay Area
In January, staff continued to collaborate with the project partners, the City of San Jose and City of Santa Clara, to identify opportunities to coordinate outreach efforts. Staff will continue to meet regularly with partner agencies to identify and implement collaborative outreach opportunities. Furthermore, in January, staff provided an update on purified water outreach at a Recycled Water Subcommittee Meeting for water retailers in Santa Clara County, and in February, staff facilitated a Bay Area Potable Reuse Outreach Collaboration Meeting to continue knowledge sharing with other local water agencies interested in purified water in the Bay Area.
Learning Center Development
As part of the Pure Water Silicon Valley Project, staff continue to work on the development of the Learning Center to accompany the DPR demonstration facility. In January, the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) met and provided feedback on a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for an exhibit designer for the Learning Center. TAG’s feedback helps Valley Water ensure the RFP is aligned with the exhibit design industry standards and considers exhibit feasibility and cost-efficient approaches. TAG members also provided feedback on an initial vision for the Learning Center building design and shared their experiences and lessons learned related to building design and maintenance for Valley Water’s consideration.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There are no environmental justice impacts associated with this item.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Kirsten Struve, 408-630-3138