Drought, new dams, discord dominate election for Santa Clara Valley Water District
Over the past two years, Silicon Valley’s largest water provider, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, has had a long list of challenges and setbacks. In 2020, the federal government ordered its largest dam, Anderson, near Morgan Hill, drained for earthquake repairs. The price tag has since doubled to $1.2 billion. The district’s plan to build another big dam near Pacheco Pass also doubled in cost, and that $2.5 billion project has been hit with a lawsuit and funding shortfalls. As the drought worsened, the district has pushed for conservation and spent tens of millions of dollars to buy water from Sacramento Valley farmers at high prices.
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