Only One Jurisdiction Is Meeting South Bay Water Reduction Goals

PALO ALTO, CA — As of July, just one Santa Clara County jurisdiction was meeting the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s goal of reducing water use by 15 percent from 2019 levels after declaring a drought emergency earlier this summer.

Only Stanford University has cut water usage by 15 percent between July 2019 and July 2021, according to a report by the Mercury News. Overall, water use throughout the county fell by 6 percent, well short of the target.

The city of Palo Alto was next at 13 percent, followed by Milpitas at 8 percent. One district, the Purissima Hills Water District that includes Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, actually saw their water usage increase by 5 percent.

“People are not getting the message,” said Newsha Ajami, a civil engineer and director of Stanford University’s Urban Water Policy Program, told the Mercury News. “6 percent is better than 0 percent. But having said that, the reality is that we might have a very dry year next year, too. And if we don’t start saving, things can go dire. Every drop of water we save today is a drop of water that will be available in our future.”

Next week, the Santa Clara Valley Water District will receive an update on water supply conditions throughout the county at their board meeting.

Related: Local Emergency Due To Drought Declared In Santa Clara County

Without additional restrictions on water usage, the county's water storage levels are expected to drop significantly: as much as 80,000 acre-feet by the end of the year, according to water district officials. Officials blamed the decrease in supply, worsening drought conditions and the loss of the Anderson Reservoir — the largest reservoir in the district — for the next decade for earthquake repairs.

Water district officials warned that groundwater levels could plummet to an "emergency" stage by next year, which could lead to wells running dry in South County and land subsidence resuming in North County. Groundwater accounts for about 40 percent of water use in Santa Clara County and is the only drinking water source in South County.

With a 15 percent reduction in water usage, district officials projected a best-case scenario of water levels remaining at normal capacity next year or a worst-case scenario of levels reaching the "severe" stage.