Silicon Valley water agency addresses impact of homeless camps along local waterways

Santa Clara County’s largest water district is weighing how to address the hundreds of homeless people living along local waterways — including potential penalties for those camped on district land.

Valley Water officials on Friday last week hosted the Unhoused People and Environment Summit featuring district staff, housing nonprofits and county officials to discuss challenges and how they can work together to tackle humanitarian and environmental concerns. Valley Water owns the land rights to 295 miles of the 800 miles of waterways in Santa Clara County, and there are more than 700 people encamped along its property — a number that has risen since the pandemic.