BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ? No ?
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A – Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT: Title
Receive an Update on the Pure Water Silicon Valley Potable Reuse Project.
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board, and the City of San Jose Mayor and City Council,
Receive an update and provide feedback on the development of Pure Water Silicon Valley, a potable reuse project to ensure our community is more drought resilient; and
Refer further discussion to the Joint Recycled Water Policy Advisory Committee with the Cities of San Jose and Santa Clara
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SUMMARY:
Climate change makes our community more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, including periods of long-term drought and more intense wet-weather events. In November 2025, Valley Water adopted its Water Supply Master Plan (WSMP) 2050 to ensure a reliable supply of potable water for our communities in the future. Investing in potable reuse was found to be an effective way to address projected shortages, particularly in drought periods.
In January 2023, Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) and the Cities of San Jose and Santa Clara (Cities) executed a Letter of Intent for Collaborating on the Expansion of Recycled and Purified Water in Santa Clara County (LOI). This collaboration involves leveraging the treated wastewater from the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF) for potable reuse. The San Jose City Council and Valley Water Board last met on August 19, 2025, to reaffirm support for the Pure Water Silicon Valley (PWSV) direct potable reuse project collaboration. Specifically, the Board and Council affirmed the following:
Support the development of a project charter and exclusive negotiation agreement as necessary initial steps to guide studies and negotiate the institutional agreements required for a full-scale advanced water purification facility.
Support for coordinated pub...
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