Todd Engineers: San José Water Supply Assessments

Panoramic photo of San Jose

Todd Engineers has prepared water supply assessments (WSA) for four City of San José Municipal Water System (SJMWS) projects: the North San José redevelopment project, Evergreen East Hills Vision Strategy, Coyote Valley Specific Plan, and proposed Gavilan College Coyote Campus.

Key Issues

Assessment of multiple water supply and demand scenarios
Planning for drought
Assurance of long-term water supply reliability

These assessments were prepared in compliance with Senate Bill 610, which requires a water supply assessment for large developments.

An SB 610 water supply assessment includes description of the service area, evaluation of water demands, and assessment of available water supply under normal rainfall and drought conditions. In all projects, the City’s assessments involved coordination among water agencies, including the Santa Clara Valley District (SCVWD), San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC), and others.

Vision North San José

The North San José project involves extensive high-density redevelopment of North San José. The project was proposed after preparation of the City’s 2000 UWMP and before completion of the City’s 2005 UWMP. Accordingly, the water supply assessment had to provide information otherwise provided by the Plans. The water supply assessment for North San José was completed within a very demanding schedule. Working with the SCVWD and other wholesale water suppliers, SJMWS was able to create a varied portfolio of water supply options including imported water, groundwater, water conservation, and recycled water, which allows flexibility in the event of short term or long term droughts.

Photograph of San Jose Light Rail downtown stop

Services Provided

Four adopted SB 610 Water Supply Assessments
Successful coordination among multiple agencies

Evergreen East Hills Visioning Strategy

The Evergreen East Hills Visioning Strategy included analysis of six potential scenarios of development, each with a unique blend of proposed land uses. The water demand of each scenario was met with a different mix of water supply based on the proposed needs and opportunities. In all cases, the use of recycled water and demand conservation was maximized to reduce demand during drought.

Coyote Valley Specific Plan

The Coyote Valley Specific Plan (CVSP) describes a self-contained community to integrate over 50,000 new, industry-driving jobs and 25,000 new residences. Todd Engineers worked closely with stakeholders including SCVWD to develop a comprehensive WSA with three potential water supply scenarios to meet the future needs of the CVSP.

These scenarios examined potential sources of water supply including imported water, groundwater, and recycled water for both irrigation and industrial, and demand conservation. The three scenarios of water supply allow for flexibility in water supply planning while still ensuring sufficient supply in the future. At this time CVSP has not been approved for development.

Gavilan Coyote Campus

The Gavilan Joint Community College District, which serves students in San Benito and southern Santa Clara counties, plans to build a new campus in Coyote Valley. The Coyote Campus will include classrooms, office space, athletic fields, and other landscaping. The District contacted SJMWS as the water retailer and requested a water supply assessment. Todd Engineers prepared a WSA that built on the water supply analysis performed for the CVSP WSA.