Santa Clara County Could See Mandatory Water Restrictions

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — California’s drought crisis could be hitting close to home soon for Santa Clara County residents.

According to Santa Clara County Valley Water District officials, residents could be hit with mandatory water restrictions after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced on Wednesday that they would be reducing water shipments to urban areas by more than half.

As a result, Santa Clara County residents can expect to see tighter restrictions on water usage, Rick Callender, CEO of Santa Clara Valley Water District, told the Mercury News.

“We are truly in an emergency situation,” Callender said. “We’re going to be seeking everything we can do to address this emergency.”

The district provides to the county’s 2 million residents. According to the Mercury News, district officials will discuss the specific restrictions at its June 8 meeting, but among the considerations will be limiting outdoor irrigation at homes and businesses and cutbacks at golf courses.

The district had already asked residents to reduce water usage by 25 percent.

Valley Water Board Chair told the San Francisco Chronicle that the district was “deeply concerned about what (the reduction) means for our communities and our region.”

In anticipation of worsening drought conditions, the district approved a 9.1 percent rate increase for the 2022 fiscal year earlier this month.

Starting July 1, 2021 until June 30, 2022, the average county resident will pay an additional $4.30 to $4.82 per month in their water bill.

Bay City News contributed to this report.