City of Santa Clara declared local emergency for drought conditions By Jana Kadah The city of Santa Clara declared drought emergency and put restrictions on water use. SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The city of Santa Clara has joined a long list of California cities and counties in declaring a local emergency for extreme drought conditions. On Tuesday, the City Council is poised to ratify the emergency proclamation which asks residents to conserve water, in line with directives from Santa Clara Valley Water District. The emergency proclamation, called for by City Manager Deanna Santana, also requires the city to move into Stage 2 of its water shortage contingency plan.