| |
Why Conserve
 In San José, our water supply is limited yet our community is growing. Given the projected increase in population, coupled with an improving economy bringing more jobs to Silicon Valley, the demand for water is expected to increase. This future demand cannot be met without increasing water conservation efforts, expanding recycled water use, and investing in new water supplies. Currently, the water delivered to residents and businesses comes from several sources:
- Surface water stored in streams and reservoirs
- Groundwater aquifers
- Imported water pumped from Hetch Hetchy Resevoir in Yosemite National Park and from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
- Recycled water, produced by treating wastewater to meet stringent standards for irrigation and other non-potable uses.
The future of this water supply is ever-changing, with many factors affecting how much water is available at any given year, such as rainfall, snowpack levels, and changes in water resources management strategies. Recent court rulings have also limited the amount of water that can be imported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to strike a balance between human needs and the needs of endangered fish in the Delta. In addition, global climate change is a reality that severely impacts our water resources, with the possibilities of more severe droughts, drastically reduced snowpack levels, flooding from rising sea levels, and/or catastrophic failures in the Delta levee system.
Water conservation is a sustainable strategy that allows for population and economic growth while meeting the increased demands for water. As competition for water increases and supply becomes more uncertain, implementing conservation measures will help ensure the City of San José’s economic viability in the decades to come while preserving its environment.
Photo courtesy of Santa Clara Valley Water District. |
|
