Public Water Authority
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water)
Serving Santa Clara County, including wholesale water customers and groundwater-benefit zones throughout the county
Population served
Approximately 1,540,360 people for active CWS PWS CA4310027 in the State Water Resources Control Board’s largest-system listing. Valley Water’s customer base is primarily wholesale retailers, agricultural users, and groundwater-benefit-zone users rather than direct household accounts.
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. For household bills. Valley Water sets fiscal-year wholesale water charges effective July 1, 2026 and bills the entities that purchase wholesale or well water; the local retail agency establishes the residential billing cycle.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) operates as a public water authority serving Santa Clara County, including wholesale water customers and groundwater-benefit zones throughout the county. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Wholesale and groundwater-benefit-zone charge structure, not a residential tiered retail rate. The FY2026–27 PAWS report and current-charge page distinguish surface-water, treated-water contract/non-contract, groundwater benefit zone, agricultural, and municipal/industrial charges. Total surface-water and treated-water charges are composed of the published basic user charge plus the applicable water-master, contract, or non-contract surcharge; retailers then set their own retail meter, usage, sewer, and pass-through rates.. Bills are generated a dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. for household bills. valley water sets fiscal-year wholesale water charges effective july 1, 2026 and bills the entities that purchase wholesale or well water; the local retail agency establishes the residential billing cycle., and a typical residential cost reference is A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. At the Valley Water level. Valley Water’s wholesale charges are assessed by acre-foot or groundwater production/benefit-zone category and are passed through differently by each retailer. A household estimate would require the customer’s city or district, meter size, retail rate class, usage, and separate sewer/stormwater charges.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. . Valley Water is not the household wastewater billing agency for this CWS record. Sewer is billed by the local city, sanitary district, or water retailer; Valley Water’s regional responsibilities include water supply, groundwater management, watershed stewardship, and flood protection rather than a single countywide residential sewer formula.
Meter and infrastructure notes
A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. For household meter reading. Valley Water measures and invoices wholesale deliveries, treated-water contracts, groundwater production, and benefit-zone charges; residential meters are read and billed by the individual retail water agencies. Regional wholesale flow meters and groundwater production reporting are not a substitute for the retail customer’s monthly or bi-monthly meter schedule.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. For ordinary household service. Valley Water publishes a pollution hotline at 888-510-5151 and a district phone at (408) 265-2600 for regional pollution, watershed, flood, or water-supply matters, but a resident should report a water-main, meter, or service-line emergency to the local retail water agency shown on the bill.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Santa Clara County, including wholesale water customers and groundwater-benefit zones throughout the county
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) is listed here as a public water authority. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.