Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Awarded $485M In State Funding

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — It's Christmas in July for the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) and its customers. Today, the California Water Commission awarded the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project $484.55 million in funds from Proposition 1. When completed, the expansion will increase the reservoir’s capacity from 5,500 to 140,000-acre feet, enough water to supply 1.4 million residents for a year.

With its initial funding secured, the water district plans to move forward with the next steps in completing environmental documents and permit applications.

SCVWD Chair Richard P. Santos said in a statement, "The project would expand Pacheco Reservoir's storage capacity to provide for increased emergency water supplies, improved water quality, and ecosystems benefits throughout our region and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This reservoir would serve as an insurance investment to support a secure water supply for our future."

The total cost of the expansion project is estimated at $969 million. A joint project involving the Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Benito County Water District and Pacheco Pass Water District, the alliance plans to seek federal funds for the remainder of the project. Any unmet costs will be paid through local water rates over several decades.

-Image via Santa Clara Valley Water District