BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Resolution Commemorating March 10-16, 2019 as Groundwater Awareness Week.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Adopt the Resolution COMMEMORATING MARCH 10-16, 2019, AS GROUNDWATER AWARENESS WEEK.
Body
SUMMARY:
Groundwater Awareness Week is an annual observation of the importance of groundwater that is celebrated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Groundwater Association, and other organizations advocating groundwater protection. A key District objective is to protect and augment Santa Clara County’s groundwater supplies. The District’s comprehensive programs to sustain local groundwater are described in the Board-adopted 2016 Groundwater Management Plan.
This year marks the 20th year anniversary of Groundwater Awareness Week. Commemorating this week (i.e. March 10 -16, 2019) helps to raise awareness that although groundwater may be out of sight, it should not be out of mind. To increase community awareness of the importance of groundwater, the District will share relevant information and tips on conserving and protecting groundwater on the District website and through social media.
BACKGROUND:
The District was formed in 1929 to address unsustainable groundwater pumping that resulted in chronic overdraft, land subsidence, and salt water intrusion. Major District investments in storage, recharge, and imported surface water addressed these issues and helped groundwater recover to sustainable levels. The protection and augmentation of groundwater remains a central District purpose, and comprehensive groundwater management ensures continued sustainability.
Nearly half the water used annually in Santa Clara County is pumped from groundwater by water retailers and thousands of private well owners. Because pumping consistently exceeds natural recharge, the District replenishes groundwater with local and imported surface water through streams and recharge ponds. The District also supplies treated water and conducts water conservation and water recycling programs. These efforts provide “in-lieu” recharge by reducing demands on groundwater.
In addition to being vulnerable to overdraft, groundwater is also threatened by contaminants from industrial spills, leaking underground fuel tanks, fertilizers, and other sources. Comprehensive monitoring, well construction/destruction programs, and coordination with land use and regulatory agencies help minimize the risk of groundwater contamination and ensure groundwater remains a viable local resource now and in the future.
District activities to fund groundwater management activities are paid largely through groundwater production charges. Both groundwater management costs and benefits are documented each year in the District’s Water Utility Enterprise Protection and Augmentation of Water Supplies Report, which will be prepared in February and posted to the District website at www.valleywater.org.
Groundwater continues to be an essential resource that helps ensure water supply reliability for Santa Clara County. Commemorating Groundwater Awareness by sharing information on the District website and through social media will help raise community awareness of this precious resource.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Garth Hall, 408-630-2750