Stretching from Contra Costa to Monterey,
the South Bay region includes major cities such
as San Jose, Oakland, Walnut Creek and San
Mateo. Although some local streams and rivers have been developed
to provide drinking water, much of the region’s surface water is
imported from the Mokelumne, Tuolumne, Sacramento and
Feather rivers. San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy project
supplies not only the city and county itself but
also Hayward, San Jose and Palo
Alto. Contra Costa County obtains its
supplies directly from the Delta. The State Water Project’s South
Bay Aqueduct supplies water to Alameda and Santa
Clara counties. Groundwater is another major source of
supply for the Santa Clara area, while farther south,
such as in the city of Monterey, it is the only water
source.
