About half the water used in the county originates hundreds of miles away in the Sierra Nevada and is delivered through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta or the Hetch Hetchy system. Most of the remainder comes from local rainfall, much of which is captured in the water district’s 10 local reservoirs.
The reservoir water is released into creeks and percolation ponds to replenish local groundwater aquifers and manage environmental needs, or is piped directly to one of our three district water treatment plants.
Water conservation and recycling are important parts of the water district’s water supply planning. To provide greater reliability, the district also “banks” water in groundwater storage outside of the county, which can be called upon during dry times.
The district sells treated water to 13 water retailers, including five private companies, which, in turn, sell it to end users. There are also private well-owners in Santa Clara County.