The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) has pushed its $100 million Pure Water Silicon Valley Demonstration Facility project into the design phase. Once completed, the facility will increase Silicon Valley’s drought resilience by providing a new drinking water source for the region.
The demonstration project consists of two main components: a 200-gallon-per-minute (gpm) direct potable reuse (DPR) pilot treatment system and a learning center. Valley Water plans to begin construction on both projects in 2027.
The DPR facility will integrate advanced treatment technologies and processes that will help broaden and amplify its water applications. The advanced water purification plant will also help support operator training and data collection.
As a pilot facility, Valley Water is using the project as a reference point for a future full-scale facility. The site will convert purified recycled water into drinking water, treating up to 8 million gpm of secondary effluent. The completed project will supplement water sources for nearby municipalities, including the cities of San José and Santa Clara.
The full-scale facility is still in the works and not expected to break ground until 2028. However, the district plans to have the facility up, running and producing up to 24,000 acre-feet of highly purified water annually by 2035. Building the facility is estimated to cost around $2.5 billion.
The 10,000-square-foot learning center will inform and educate visitors about the water reclamation processes in the pilot and full-scale facilities. The district will incorporate interactive exhibits into the site’s layout, illuminating how water reuse bolsters water supply resilience and provides more information about water purification technologies. The structure will be LEED-certified and solar-ready.
Photo by Amine KM from Pexels
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