Purified Water Project

About the Project

Valley Water is expanding its ability to replenish its groundwater with purified water, a drought-resilient, and locally controlled water source. Valley Water must meet future water demand and identify a sustainable water supply to combat the effects of climate change. The Purified Water Project will help meet those water supply goals, which include providing 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 water sources in a manner that minimizes environmental impacts.

The Purified Water Project will evaluate building an advanced water purification facility at one of two potential sites:

Expansion at the existing Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center located on Zanker Road in San Jose;
At the former Los Altos Treatment Plant site, which is owned by the City of Palo Alto and located on San Antonio Road in Palo Alto.

When completed, this project will build a facility capable of providing at least 10 million gallons per day of high-quality, drought-resilient water. From one of these sites, a conveyance pipeline and an onsite pump station would be constructed to transport purified water to groundwater recharge ponds along Los Gatos Creek located in the city of Campbell.

This water would supplement existing water from other sources to replenish groundwater, especially during drier years. Depending upon the selected route, the conveyance pipeline would be approximately 18 to 20 miles long.

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?

Water has always been nature’s renewable resource and is constantly moving through the water cycle. Purifying water simply speeds up that natural process by using a multistep effort to remove potential water contaminants, creating a drought-resilient and sustainable water source.

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.