BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:Title
Monthly Drought Emergency Response and Water Supply Update. (PREVIOUSLY LISTED AS ITEM 2.6)
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RECOMMENDATION:Recommendation
Receive an update on water supply conditions in Santa Clara County and staff's drought response efforts and provide direction to staff, as necessary.
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SUMMARY:
On June 9, 2021, the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) Board declared a water shortage emergency condition pursuant to California Water Code ?350, called for water use restrictions with a target of 15% countywide water use reduction compared to 2019, and urged Santa Clara County to proclaim a local emergency. The County ratified its proclamation of a drought emergency on June 22, 2021. On April 12, 2022, the Board called for no more than 2 days of irrigation in a week for lawns and ornamental landscapes and prohibited midday irrigation and runoff. On May 24, 2022, the Board approved an ordinance pursuant to Water Code Section 375 et seq to enforce these restrictions.
Reflecting critically dry conditions across the state, in 2021 and 2022 Valley Water received drastic reductions in imported water allocations, which comprise about half of Valley Water's typical annual water supply. Valley Water is also impacted by the unavailability of Anderson Reservoir as a surface water storage facility for the duration of the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project, which is expected to last 10 years. The loss of Anderson Dam storage, lower imported water supplies, and uncertainty in receiving emergency water transfers results in increased risk for subsidence in North County and dry wells, particularly in South County. In South County, groundwater is the only drinking water supply.
Valley Water has been conducting a wide array of efforts to respond to the drought and the resulting water shortage emergency condition. These efforts along with the latest water supply condition in the County will be described in the current month's Wat...
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