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Water Supply Source
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San Jose Water Company provides water from three major sources.
- Groundwater - which is pumped from over 100 wells that draw water from the Santa Clara Groundwater Basin.Ground water accounts fro approximately 50% of our supply.
- Imported surface water - provided by Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), our wholesale supplier. Surface water imported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and purchased from the Santa Clara Valley Water district approximately 40% of our supply. A majority of this water originates as Sierra snowmelt, and travels through the State and Federal water projects before treatment at the District's three treatment plants. A smaller portion is impounded in local reservoirs in Santa Clara County. More information about the imported water supply and treatment can be found on the SCVWD website.
- Local mountain surface water - collected on our watershed in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and treated at our two treatment plants. Local surface water from our watershed in the Santa Cruz Mountains is approximately 10% of our supply.
There are seasonal changes in this distribution pattern and the sources are often blended together, this map shows only the predominant source for a particular area during a typical year.
What is the difference between groundwater and surface water?
Surface water comes from lakes and rivers while groundwater is pumped from wells. Wells extract water from underground layers of sand, gravel or porous rock called aquifers.
Groundwater generally has a higher mineral content but requires less treatment than surface water. To control bacteria, all surface water is filtered and disinfected with chlorine and/or chloramines at modern water treatment plants before it is distributed to customers. Groundwater pumped from our deep wells is largely free of bacteria. The wells require disinfection primarily to prevent the growth of bacteria in the pipes and tanks of our water distribution system. Both groundwater and surface water sources are of excellent quality and are regularly tested to insure compliance with safe drinking water standards.
What type of water am I primarily receiving?
The San Jose Water Company Service Area and Water Supply Sources map indicates the predominant source of water in your area. Keep in mind that these sources are often blended together in the distribution system. You may receive different sources from day to day as customer usage changes. If you need more specific information about your source of supply, please call us at 279-7900.
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