Gilroy To Meet With County Water District To Discuss Drought

GILROY, CA — The city of Gilroy will take part in a joint meeting with the Santa Clara Valley Water District and city of Morgan Hill on Monday to discuss the water shortage emergency in Santa Clara County.

The water district, county and state have all declared water shortage emergencies in Santa Clara County, calling for a reduction of water use of 15 percent compared to 2019 levels. Earlier this month, Gilroy declared a Level 2 water supply shortage due to worsening drought conditions and placed limits on watering hours, days and duration with a goal of achieving 33 percent reduction in water use compared to 2013 levels.

With some exceptions, Gilroy residents are prohibited from watering with potable water between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and should limit any watering via irrigation systems to 15 minutes.

Related: Water Use Restrictions Approved By Gilroy City Council

During the meeting, water district officials are also expected to provide an update on the progress of construction on the Anderson Reservoir, which is expected to be unavailable for the next decade due to earthquake repairs.

Water district officials are concerned that the loss of the reservoir, combined with lower imported water supplies and uncertainty over emergency water transfers will result in “rapid and significant drops in our groundwater levels and resulting in the potential for subsidence and dry wells,” according to a staff report.

Groundwater is the only drinking water supply in south Santa Clara County.

Other topics on the agenda at Monday’s meeting include the potential use of recycled drinking water in south Santa Clara County, the effect of homeless encampments along waterways and an update on the Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. on Monday. Click here for the agenda and here for the Zoom link.