Water Blogged

Call for conservation continues

2022 is off to the driest start for San Jose in recent history.

A now third year of the California drought is deepening after a promising winter start. A very wet December followed by a dry January, February and March means conservation has never been more important.

In February 2022, water usage climbed 20% over the same time period in 2019. Valley Water, the water wholesaler for Santa Clara County, has asked residents to cut back water use by 15% from 2019 levels.

You may be wondering why we are talking about March results in May. It takes about two months to gather the data and for usage numbers to be released.

The dry start to 2022 continued into March with only .36 inches of rain falling during the first three months of the year. A typical year of rainfall during the same period is 7.45 inches of rain. Truth is, it can be tough to conserve during the winter months. Water usage tends to be primarily indoors. This means cutting back usage in showers, toilet flushing, dishwashing, and laundry for most residences.

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When two eight-year-old boys learned about their

San Jose Water typically uses an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for inspections and sediment collection in our tanks. However, the team found a new use for the ROV when a large tank sprung a leak.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to deliver clean, safe water—even during an emergency? Lots and lots of planning. It all begins with our Emergency Management group, which also includes Security and Business Continuity.

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Most of us grew up with the

When SJW’s Tim McLaughlin met now-TM Carter Co. CEO Touré Carter at the Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce conference last year, it was the perfect example of “right place, right time.” As SJW’s Director of Supplier Diversity, Tim regularly speaks at events like these to educate local minority-owned business owners on processes for getting certified and winning contracts with large companies like SJW. They are also great networking opportunities, as Touré discovered during a break between sessions.