That’s a wrap! Valley Water closes out another year of successful volunteer cleanups

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our volunteers, Coastal Cleanup Day and National River Cleanup Day 2024 were incredible successes. The dedication and passion of the 1,640 volunteers helped keep our waterways clean and made a lasting impact on both the environment and our community.

During the two countywide clean-up events, volunteers, equipped with gloves, trash bags, and litter sticks, came together to remove 50,129 pounds of litter from Santa Clara County's waterways and natural spaces.

Whether our volunteers joined us for the first time or were returning volunteers, each person's contribution was invaluable. Every piece of litter removed, every tire pulled from a creek and every plastic bag properly disposed of makes a big difference in the health of our environment.

Pollution in our waterways doesn't just affect the local landscape. It also poses serious risks to wildlife and contributes to broader environmental challenges. By removing waste from our creeks and rivers, we are removing potentially harmful materials from traveling to our oceans, where they can harm marine life.

While Coastal Cleanup Day and National River Cleanup Day are important milestones, the work to protect our environment continues year-round. To learn more about our future community cleanup efforts, please visit cleanacreek.org.

We also encourage everyone to check out the Adopt-A-Creek Program. This program offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to protecting our waterways. Program partners monitor trash in their adopted creek segments and organize at least two cleanups annually. Join us in preserving the health and beauty of our local creeks by signing up as an Adopt-A-Creek partner.

Once again, thank you to our volunteers for your hard work, dedication and passion. Together, we are building a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future.

See you at the next cleanup!