Latest news with #ValleyWater
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
California Concerns Over New $2.7B Reservoir
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California state officials voiced mounting concern this week over long-standing delays and cost overruns in the proposed Pacheco Reservoir expansion, a multibillion-dollar project that has yet to secure critical permits or water rights, years after initial funding was promised, according to a report by The Mercury News. Why It Matters The Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, a joint effort by Valley Water, the San Benito County Water District, and the Pacheco Pass Water District, represents a long-term strategy to strengthen the reliability of safe, clean drinking water supplies amid the challenges of climate change. But the project's escalating costs—now estimated at $2.7 billion, nearly triple the original $969 million estimate—and its failure to secure much-needed permits attracted scrutiny, according to the report. Newsweek reached out to the California Water Commission and Valley Water via email for comment. Project rendering of potential dam and expanded reservoir, northwest view toward the City of San José. Project rendering of potential dam and expanded reservoir, northwest view toward the City of San José. Valley Water What To Know Members of the California Water Commission, an agency appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom, expressed dissatisfaction Wednesday with a lack of progress and shifting timelines. The commission had committed $504 million in state bond funding to the project seven years ago, but signaled that funding may be reconsidered if progress stalls further. "This is more about tracking the progress and making sure these projects are all going forward rather than backward," commissioner Jose Solorio said. "Maybe down the road we do have to look at ways of lowering investments if there's not sufficient progress in terms of viability." Commissioner Sandra Matsumoto said, "As we move forward in time, the uncertainties should be decreasing." Matsumoto added: "But I feel like the more we hear from the public, the more additional issues are coming up that make it sound less likely." The proposal calls for a new 320-foot earthen dam on North Fork Pacheco Creek, about two miles north of Highway 152. According to Valley Water's website, the expansion project would boost Pacheco Reservoir's operational capacity from 5,500 acre-feet to up to 140,000 acre-feet, enough to supply up to 1.4 million residents with water for one year in an emergency. It would also reduce the frequency and severity of water shortages during droughts, according to Valley Water. However, The Mercury News reported that the commission was told on Wednesday that the project had yet to obtain the key permits required to begin construction, had not secured the necessary water rights, and had completed just 30 percent of the design. District officials estimated that by next year, they would have spent $132 million and completed 60 percent of the design. Delays were attributed to legal challenges from environmental groups, newly discovered geological complications, and inflation. What People Are Saying Melanie Richardson, Santa Clara Valley Water District's interim CEO, told the commission, per The Mercury News: "An expanded Pacheco Reservoir is an excellent option for our agency and our region... "It would provide a critical source of emergency storage in the event of an earthquake, a levee failure, or any other catastrophe. Having Pacheco as part of our system would improve our agency's operational flexibility allowing for more efficient management of our water resources." Shani Kleinhaus, an advocate with the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, said, per The Mercury News: "Valley Water continues to spend millions of dollars on a project that will cost many, many billions and is not feasible, and encumbers taxpayers and ratepayers with unjustifiable tax and rate increases. Hopefully, you will find a way not to promote this." What Happens Next Officials now estimate that construction will not begin before 2029 and will not be finished until at least 2036. The initial goal was for construction to be completed by 2032.
CBS News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
California recycled water rules to be loosened under new state Senate bill
The drought may have ended in 2017, but now, even when it's raining, California's water supply has remained a topic of debate. And while there have been calls for more water storage, some believe the problem could be solved if we stopped viewing water as a single-use product. Much of Northern and Central California's freshwater flows toward the Delta. But with so much being siphoned off by so many different interests, it's become a huge battleground in state Sen. Jerry McNerney's district. "We're right in the middle of water controversy," he said. "Basically, what I want to do is make sure that water is available through recycling, through storage, through a little bit of de-salt, so we don't have to fight so much over the water that's in the Delta." On Tuesday, McNerney introduced SB 31 to ease some regulations on the use of recycled water. The treated wastewater can already be legally used to irrigate most landscaping and lawns. But if, for example, a golf course or park uses it to fill a lake and it should leak or heavy rains cause it to overflow, large fines could be levied as if it were a toxic spill. SB 31 would correct that. "They'll be more likely to want to use it because they'll be facing less liability for spills or other incidents where water gets out," said McNerney. It's a small correction, but it shows how closely the state's laws regarding water are being scrutinized these days, especially involving recycled water, which many see as the most readily abundant supply source. California currently uses about 700,000 acre-feet of recycled water each year. Gov. Gavin Newsom has set a goal of using twice that amount by 2040. By contrast, the Santa Clara Valley Water District began supporting recycling efforts in the 1950s. "We recognized early that it is a drought-resilient supply and locally controlled and that we need it to offset potable use," said Kirsten Struve, assistant officer of the water supply division at Valley Water. Across the Bay Area, communities are installing the distinctive purple pipes that separate recycled water from drinking water. That's also part of the law and one of the things that make recycled water delivery pretty costly, right now. Aside from landscaping, it's being used to cool massive computer servers in Silicon Valley and to flush toilets at San Jose City Hall and San Jose State University. Still, only about 15% of the county's recycled water is being put to use. "And Valley Water wants to take the next step and do potable reuse," said Struve, "which were regulations that came into effect in October, I believe." Valley Water has built a plant that can clean wastewater so thoroughly that it can be used as drinking water. Now that the state has legalized it, their goal for potable use is 24,000 acre-feet per year, enough to supply about 72,000 households. "It will take some time and, of course, public outreach will be important," said Struve. Now that the laws are changing, public opinion may be the biggest obstacle. It's one thing to water golf courses with water from the toilet. Offering recycled water for drinking may be an idea that's harder for people to swallow.
