Purified Water Project
About the Project
Valley Water must meet future water demand and identify a sustainable water supply to combat the effects of future droughts and climate change. The Purified Water Project will help reach those water supply goals, which include meeting at least 10% of water demand in Santa Clara County through recycled and purified water. The project will allow Valley Water to develop the use of purified water to supplement existing drinking water sources in a manner that minimizes environmental impacts.
The Purified Water Project is proposing to build an advanced water purification facility at the former Los Altos Treatment Plant site, located on San Antonio Road in the City of Palo Alto. Purified water would be conveyed through nearly 20 miles of underground pipe to Valley Water groundwater recharge ponds in the City of Campbell.
When completed, this project will be capable of providing about 10 million gallons per day of high-quality, drought-resilient water to replenish our groundwater supply for potable use in the county.
About Groundwater Replenishment
Following purification at the treatment facility, purified water is transported through a pipeline system to groundwater recharge ponds. At these ponds, purified water naturally filters through underground soil, gravel, and rock before replenishing groundwater basins. Here, the water will blend with water already in the basin over several months and years before reaching wells for drinking or home use.
What is Purified Water? How is it different from recycled water?
Water has always been nature’s renewable resource. Purifying and recycling water simply speeds up that natural process. Recycled water generally refers to municipal wastewater that has been cleaned and meets requirements for industrial and irrigation use. Purified water is highly treated municipal wastewater that has gone through additional advanced treatment and disinfection to meet and exceed state and federal drinking water standards.
How Safe is Purified Water?
Purified water is safe and meets or exceeds state and federal drinking water standards. It is tested regularly by our certified Water Quality Lab to ensure safety and quality. Upon completion of the Purified Water Project, Valley Water will be able to use purified water to add to our groundwater replenishment efforts. Valley Water will join many other places in the United States and worldwide in using this water purification and replenishment method, including Monterey and Orange counties in California, Texas, Australia, and Singapore. To learn more about how purified water is used as a drinking water source and the purification treatment process, please visit purewater4u.org. There, you can also sign up for tours of the existing Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center.
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SANTA CLARA COUNTY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION ENDORSES VALLEY WATER’S PURIFIED WATER PROJECT
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Following a series of presentations and discussions with representatives from Valley Water, the Santa Clara County Medical Association (SCCMA) endorsed the Purified Water Project as a safe and healthy option to add to our water supply. According to the SCCMA Committee on Environmental Health, “based on its extensive regulation and treatment, recycled [purified water] is safe for human consumption.”
Read more here.
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WHAT IS PURIFIED WATER?
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkCome inside the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center and see how we are working to purify used water so clean, it can one day come out of the tap again!
Watch how we purify and recycle water.
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JOIN OUR PUBLIC VIRTUAL SCOPING MEETING ON MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkValley Water is hosting a virtual scoping meeting for the Purified Water Project on Monday, March 29, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
At this meeting, the community will learn more about the project, the planning process and provide feedback related to environmental impacts that will be analyzed as part of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process.
Meeting Details
- Link: https://valleywater.zoom.us/j/94477342812
- Dial-in: +1 669 900 9128
- Webinar ID: 944 7734 2812
CEQA Public Review (Spring 2021)
In addition to the scoping meeting, Valley Water is welcoming public comment on the scope of environmental analysis in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Brief details about the proposed project's purpose and objectives, an alternative to the proposed project, potential environmental impacts, and the resulting need for the EIR will be found in the project's Notice of Preparation (NOP). The NOP is posted and available for review at Valley Water's "Public Review Documents" site.
Responsible and trustee agencies, and other interested agencies, organizations, and individuals, are invited to provide written comments on the scope and content of the Draft EIR. Comments must be sent at the earliest possible date, but no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Please include a name and contact information alongside your formal comments to:
Elise Latedjou-Durand
Valley Water
5750 Almaden Expressway
San José, CA 95118
(408) 630-3095
EDurand@valleywater.org
Camden groundwater replenishment pond near Los Gatos Creek
FAQs
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The Basics
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Safety
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Other Project Details
- Why is another purified water treatment facility needed when we already have the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center?
- How much will the Project cost? How is it being funded?
- What is the Project’s schedule?
- How much purified water will the proposed Purified Water Project produce for groundwater recharge?
- How much energy is required to purify water?
- Following the Reverse Osmosis (RO) stage of the purification process, what happens to the concentrate or brine? Does the RO concentrate harm the environment?
- How is Valley Water working with other agencies on completing this project?
- Once the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is finalized, how will modifications that arise during the planning process be addressed?
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The Future
Desalination
Videos
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Learn more about the advanced water purification process and the existing Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center
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This video conversation briefly summarizes key drivers and associated challenges related to rapidly expanding reuse in California. California Urban Water Agencies, otherwise known as CUWA, is a non-profit corporation made up of 11 major urban water agencies located across California.