SAN JOSE—The Santa Clara Valley Water District awarded $130,000 in grants to three innovative projects expected to help the water district meet its long-term goal of saving more than 32 billion gallons of water each year by 2030.
The three awardees were selected from a pool of seven applicants in the third round of competition for grants from the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, a parcel tax approved by voters in 2012. Grant amounts awarded in this cycle range from $30,000 to $50,000, and all projects must be completed by June 30, 2018.
“By offering these grants, we’re hoping to tap into the innovation capital of the world,” said Jerry de la Piedra, Manager of the Water Supply Planning & Conservation Unit for the Water District. “Developing new technologies to help people save water is always exciting, but it is even more critical now as we could potentially be entering the fifth year of this historic drought.”
Below are the winners and their projects.
City of Mountain View
The City of Mountain View will receive a $50,000 grant to evaluate available Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems and their ability to make meter reading more efficient, improve customer service, and promote water-use efficiency within Mountain View. The project includes potential use of Pacific Gas & Electric’s existing gas AMI network.Purissima Hills Water District
Like Mountain View, Purissima Hills Water District will also receive a $50,000 grant to test the efficacy of Advanced Metering Infrastructure in reducing water use among Purissima Hills Water District customers. Purissima Hills serves approximately 6,150 residents and 2,070 connections and also serves 10 institutional customers including Foothill Community College.Veloctron LLC
Veloctron will receive a $30,000 grant to develop a residential water-saving faucet using low-cost micro-array technology. Veloctron’s faucet adapter creates a steady array of strong micro water streams that increases the water surface area while also boosting the water velocity. Initial studies on the Veloctron faucet indicated a 12-fold water reduction when compared to the best water aerator available today.
The Water District expects to distribute nearly $35 million in grants, partnerships and rebate programs over the life of the 15-year Safe, Clean Water Program.