Estremera: Upgrading Santa Clara County’s water infrastructure

Valley Water provides safe, clean water to homes, businesses and farms throughout Santa Clara County. A dependable water supply is something we rely on every day, even if we don’t always think about it. Safe, clean water is essential to our health, economy and the innovation that drives Silicon Valley.

However, much of our water infrastructure was built decades ago and now needs upgrades. To ensure continued reliability, we must replace aging pipelines and dams and improve other key systems.

At the same time, climate change is creating serious challenges, including longer droughts and more severe storms. To keep pace, Valley Water must invest in new water supply and storage projects that address climate impacts and support a growing population.

Now is the time to make long-term investments so we can deliver safe, clean water to Silicon Valley for our children and grandchildren.

This month, as we recognize National Public Works Week, we honor the workers who keep our water system running. Right now, Valley Water is leading dozens of projects to strengthen and modernize our infrastructure.

Our top priority is the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project. Built in 1950, Anderson Reservoir is the largest of our 10 reservoirs and a vital source of local water storage. In September 2024, crews finished excavating a 1,736-foot-long tunnel next to the dam. The new, larger tunnel will allow us to release water more quickly during an emergency.

Once the necessary permits are obtained, we will begin retrofitting the dam embankment and spillway. Our work includes building new outlet pipes, removing and constructing the spillway, and rebuilding the dam embankment. Construction is estimated to start January 2027 and take about seven years. When complete, we’ll again be able to fill Anderson Reservoir and maximize its storage capacity.

We also recently completed major upgrades at the Santa Teresa Water Treatment Plant, the largest of our three treatment facilities. As part of a $20.6 million project, our agency replaced 12 large filters that are essential for cleaning drinking water. Additionally, we’re working on upgrade projects at our other two plants, Penitencia and Rinconada. These improvements are part of a long-term plan to maintain and modernize the county’s water treatment infrastructure and continue to deliver safe, high-quality water.

These are just a few examples of many projects in our Capital Improvement Program, which focuses on maintaining, upgrading and replacing the infrastructure our community depends on.

Our Water Supply Master Plan is being updated to ensure we have a roadmap that helps us forecast future water needs and prioritize critical projects. Our estimates reveal that if we stick only to our current resources and infrastructure, we could face water shortages, especially with the possibility of prolonged droughts.

That’s why we’re evaluating 18 potential water supply and infrastructure projects, including purified water, groundwater recharge, additional storage and pipelines. These options are being evaluated through a comprehensive process that includes community input and a careful review of costs and benefits. Our staff anticipates a draft of the updated master plan will be available for public review this summer.

Affordability is also a top priority. That’s why Valley Water launched a study to better understand future water demand, potential impacts on rates, and ways to protect ratepayers. By using financial tools like low-cost loans and bonds, we can spread out costs and minimize the impact on your water bill.

At Valley Water, our mission is simple: to provide safe, clean water to all our communities in Santa Clara County. To keep that promise, we must continue investing in strong, reliable infrastructure that can meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Tony Estremera is District 6 director and chair of the Valley Water board of directors.