Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part series highlighting some of the projects included in the CIP Fiscal Year 2025-2029 Preliminary Five-Year Plan.
Every year, Valley Water updates its plan for funding the agency’s critical infrastructure projects required to meet the needs of Santa Clara County.
The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Five-Year Plan is a comprehensive document that provides a roadmap for funding the planning, design, and construction of water-related infrastructure. To read more about how Valley Water develops the CIP Program, please see our recent blog.
Currently, Valley Water is preparing the CIP Fiscal Year 2025-2029 Preliminary Five-Year Plan, which includes 66 projects to help Valley Water meet its mission to provide Silicon Valley with safe, clean water for a healthy life, environment, and economy. Projects within the CIP are categorized into five types of improvements: water supply, flood protection, water resources stewardship, buildings and grounds, and information technology. More than half of the projects in the Preliminary Five-Year Plan aim to ensure a reliable water supply, now and in the future.
Santa Clara County’s current water supply system is a complex mix of water supply sources and infrastructure. To meet these needs, Valley Water operates a variety of surface reservoirs, treatment plants, pipelines and other infrastructure.
A significant portion of our county’s water supply infrastructure is approaching 50 to 60 years of age. To ensure each facility continues to function as intended, Valley Water is focusing the CIP on maintaining, replacing, and or upgrading its existing infrastructure.
Here’s a look at some of the water supply projects included in the CIP:
Water Treatment Master Plan Implementation ($9.3 million)
Through this project, Valley Water will develop a comprehensive 30-year master plan to determine the projects needed to help achieve the following:
- Repair, replace, and or upgrade Valley Water’s water treatment plant infrastructure
- Address increasingly stringent water quality regulations
- Integrate with the recently completed Water Supply Master Plan
The implementation project will include a programmatic environmental impact report, which is used to evaluate a program with multiple components or actions related either geographically, through the application of rules or regulations, or as logical parts of a long-term plan. The master plan will include the Rinconada, Santa Teresa and Penitencia Water Treatment Plants and the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center.
Distribution System Master Plan Implementation ($9.3 million)
This project will develop a comprehensive 30-year master plan to identify improvements to Valley Water’s raw and treated water distribution systems based on current demands, future growth, and emergencies. The project will optimize the agency’s water distribution systems, evaluate retailer needs, recommend actions needed to protect existing infrastructure, and include a programmatic environmental impact report.
SCADA Master Plan Implementation ($6.5 million)
Valley Water’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems serve a pivotal role in monitoring and controlling Valley Water’s raw water conveyance system (including reservoirs and pumping plants), water treatment plants, and distribution systems. These systems are aging and in need of planned replacements and upgrades. These systems must function properly to meet water demands, maintain water quality, achieve regulatory compliance and satisfy customer expectations.
In addition, the SCADA systems provide Valley Water with important operational data used across the agency by different departments. By improving access to the data, Valley Water will more efficiently manage and operate the complex facilities and systems involved.
Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit ($1.9 billion)
The project plans, designs, and constructs improvements to seismically retrofit Anderson Dam to modern-day safety standards. As part of the project, Valley Water will replace most of the existing dam embankment and strengthen the spillway.
Rebuilding Anderson Dam will allow Valley Water to fill the reservoir. (Before lowering water levels to 3% for the current tunnel project, Valley Water had been operating the reservoir at around 60% capacity due to a seismic restriction.).
The Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project is connected to other projects in construction, including the Anderson Dam Tunnel ($253M), Coyote Percolation Dam Replacement ($17.7M), Coyote Creek Flood Management Measure ($117.4M), Cross Valley Pipeline Extension ($11.9M) and others.
Upcoming meetings
Valley Water staff will hold a series of meetings and presentations to the Board of Directors during the annual CIP process. On Jan. 9, 2024, Valley Water will hold a Board work-study session to review the CIP Preliminary Five-Year Plan and Preliminary Groundwater Production Charges to ensure the alignment with Board priorities. On Feb. 27, 2024, Valley Water staff will present the draft CIP Five-Year Plan to the Board of Directors for review and authorization to distribute it to all cities and land use authorities in Santa Clara County and the County of Santa Clara for review. Once approved, Valley Water will release the draft for a 60-day public review period.
In April, the Master Plan Implementation Projects will be presented to the CIP Committee, where Valley Water staff will present a public outreach plan and provide a status update on the progress of the projects. In addition, Valley Water typically holds a public hearing during a Board meeting in April and will share details once the date is finalized.
This embarking project will in a long-term solve 98% of water issue in the Santa Clara county.
Thanks for writing all these articles about the CIP!
Educational and impressive updates; it is helpful to know the locations of all 4 water treatment sites and to see the progress of the retro-fit of the Anderson Dam. Thank you.