Water district picks five projects totaling $3.9 billion to boost water supplies by 2025 – The Mercury News

Report on Santa Clara County’s Water Supply Master Plan 2050

Introduction: Aligning Water Security with Sustainable Development Goals

The Santa Clara Valley Water District has approved a comprehensive, 25-year, $3.9 billion strategy, the “Water Supply Master Plan 2050.” This plan outlines a multi-faceted approach to ensure a resilient and secure water supply for two million residents. The framework is critically aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). This report analyzes the plan’s components, its strategic drivers, and its connection to global sustainability targets.

Context: Balancing Urban Growth with Sustainable Water Management

Achievements in Responsible Consumption (SDG 12)

Despite a 25% population increase since 2000, Santa Clara County has achieved a 20% reduction in total water use. This decoupling of growth from resource consumption demonstrates significant progress toward SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). This success is attributed to proactive water conservation policies, including:

• Financial incentives for replacing lawns with water-efficient landscaping.
• Rebates for the installation of low-water appliances.
• Statewide building codes mandating water-saving plumbing fixtures.

Future Challenges and Climate Imperatives (SDG 13)

The Master Plan is a direct response to future risks that threaten long-term water security. These challenges underscore the need for robust climate adaptation strategies as outlined in SDG 13.

• Climate Change Impacts: The region faces increasing threats from severe, multi-year droughts, extreme heat waves, and a diminishing Sierra snowpack, a primary water source.
• Projected Demand Growth: Planners anticipate a 16% to 23% increase in water demand by 2050 due to population growth and new industrial uses, such as AI data centers.
• Resilience for Sustainable Communities (SDG 11): The plan’s core objective is to prevent future water shortages, thereby safeguarding the health, economy, and sustainability of the urban community.

Strategic Framework: A Portfolio Approach to Water Resilience

Core Project Portfolio (SDG 6 & SDG 9)

Following the cancellation of the $3.2 billion Pacheco Reservoir project, the district has pivoted to a diversified portfolio of five major projects. This strategy emphasizes building resilient infrastructure (SDG 9) and implementing integrated water resources management (SDG 6).

1. Raising the San Luis Reservoir Dam

   A $1 billion project to raise the dam by 10 feet, creating 130,000 acre-feet of new storage.

   • Pros: Enhances regional storage capacity with limited environmental opposition, contributing to resilient infrastructure (SDG 9).
   • Cons: Requires significant additional investment to relocate major transportation infrastructure (Highway 152).

2. Delta Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel)

   Support for a $20 billion, 45-mile tunnel to improve the reliability of water transfers from Northern California.

   • Pros: Could secure an additional 14,000 acre-feet of supply annually.
   • Cons: Faces substantial legal, environmental, and financial hurdles, raising concerns about its impact on ecosystems, a key consideration under SDG 15 (Life on Land).

3. Pure Water Silicon Valley

   Expansion of wastewater recycling to produce purified water for groundwater recharge or direct potable reuse.

   • Pros: Creates a local, drought-proof, and sustainable water source, directly advancing targets within SDG 6 for water reuse and integrated management.
   • Cons: Involves relatively high costs and requires building public acceptance for potable reuse schemes.

4. Groundwater Storage Expansion

   A plan to store 250,000 acre-feet of water in underground aquifers.

   • Pros: A cost-effective and less environmentally disruptive alternative to new surface reservoirs, aligning with sustainable ecosystem management.
   • Cons: Supplies could be jeopardized by new state laws aimed at curbing groundwater overdraft in other regions.

5. South County Groundwater Recharge

   Development of new percolation ponds and other infrastructure to increase groundwater storage in the southern part of the county.

   • Pros: Enhances local water supply at a relatively low cost, strengthening community-level resilience (SDG 11).
   • Cons: Requires successful collaboration and support from agricultural and private landowning stakeholders.

Conclusion: A Multi-Faceted Strategy for a Sustainable Water Future

The Water Supply Master Plan 2050 represents a strategic shift from a single large-scale project to a diversified portfolio of solutions. By integrating conservation, infrastructure upgrades, water recycling, and groundwater management, the plan provides a robust framework for achieving long-term water security. Its success will be critical for advancing the region’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in ensuring clean water (SDG 6), building resilient communities (SDG 11), and adapting to the urgent realities of climate change (SDG 13).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The entire article revolves around ensuring a stable and safe water supply for 2 million residents in Santa Clara County. It discusses water scarcity due to droughts, water conservation, water recycling, and the management of water resources through infrastructure projects.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • The article details numerous large-scale infrastructure projects aimed at securing water supply. These include raising dams (San Luis Reservoir), building new reservoirs (Sites Reservoir), constructing tunnels (Delta tunnel), and developing advanced water recycling facilities (“Pure Water Silicon Valley”). This directly relates to developing resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The focus is on making a major urban area, Santa Clara County, resilient to water-related disasters like “extreme droughts.” The “Water Supply Master Plan 2050” is a strategic plan to ensure the long-term sustainability and water security of the community in the face of population growth and climate change.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article explicitly states that the need for new water storage and management strategies is driven by the fear of “extreme droughts,” “severe heat waves and wildfires made worse by rising temperatures from climate change.” The plans are a direct response to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to these climate-related hazards.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
   • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. The water district’s mission to ensure “clean, safe water won’t come out when you turn on your tap” for its 2 million residents directly supports this target.
   • Target 6.3: Improve water quality by… substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse. The “Pure Water Silicon Valley” project, which aims to “recycle more wastewater… and put that water into underground aquifers or send it directly to drinking water treatment plants,” is a clear example of this target in action.
   • Target 6.4: Substantially increase water-use efficiency. The article highlights significant progress, noting that “Total water use in Santa Clara County has fallen 20% since 2000, while population grew by 25%,” achieved through conservation programs like lawn removal rebates and low-water appliances.
   • Target 6.5: Implement integrated water resources management. The “Water Supply Master Plan 2050” is a comprehensive strategy that combines conservation, new reservoirs, groundwater storage, and recycled water, exemplifying an integrated approach.
2. Under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure):
   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure. The article details plans for major infrastructure projects like raising the San Luis Reservoir dam, the Delta tunnel, and the Sites Reservoir, all designed to create a more resilient and reliable water supply system.
3. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
   • Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of people affected by water-related disasters. The entire premise of the master plan is to mitigate the impact of “extreme droughts” on the population, thereby reducing the community’s vulnerability to this type of disaster.
   • Target 11.b: Increase the number of cities implementing integrated policies and plans towards… adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters. The “Water Supply Master Plan 2050” is a direct implementation of an integrated plan for disaster resilience and climate adaptation for the Santa Clara County region.
4. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The article’s focus on planning for “extreme scenarios” and anticipating the “worst” effects of climate change, such as severe droughts and earlier snowpack melt, is a direct effort to build adaptive capacity.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Water-Use Efficiency (Target 6.4):
   • The article provides a direct metric: “Total water use in Santa Clara County has fallen 20% since 2000, while population grew by 25% over the same time.” This demonstrates a clear decoupling of water use from population growth, a key indicator of efficiency.
2. For Water Recycling (Target 6.3):
   • An indicator is mentioned: Recycled wastewater from the sewage treatment plant at Alviso “now provides 5% of the district’s supply.” Progress can be measured by tracking the increase in this percentage as the “Pure Water Silicon Valley” project is implemented.
3. For Water Storage and Supply (Targets 9.1, 11.5, 13.1):
   • The article provides several quantifiable indicators of infrastructure development and water storage capacity. These include:
     • The planned increase in storage from raising the San Luis Reservoir dam: “130,000 acre feet of new storage.”
     • The target for groundwater storage: “store 250,000 acre-feet underground.”
     • The projected future water shortage in a severe drought that the plan aims to prevent: “Santa Clara County could be 69,000 acre-feet short.”
     • Financial investment as an indicator: The master plan has a price tag of “$3.9 billion.”

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: mercurynews.com