CITY OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

COUNCIL POLICY

SUBJECT: COMPREHENSNE POLICY FOR A SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY IN SAN DIEGO

POLICY NO.: 400-
. EFFECTNEDATE:

BACKGROUND:

San Diego's economy and quality oflife depend on a relia iable supply of water. The
City of San Diego needs to establish guiding principle sure that our water supply
remains secure.

Our City and region are facing and will continue to fa ur water supply
reliability because of issues related to trending drought, p. . "'ons and hydr ......yin the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, hydrolo ake Mead anc ado River systems;.!~ the effects of
Climate Change.

,e San DiegocQty Council must have

.vation,'e!i\:ourage collaboration on all levels,
"at they 1r~p-to-date.

PURPOSE:

the City of San Diego, including the following

•
• .er and storm water systems can be used together to ensure

• r treatment, system maintenance, storage, distribution and usage

deration of new technologies or opportunities.

• Collaboration with loc regional stakeholders, agencies and partners for securing water
reliability.

• Collaboration with private and public agencies for infrastructure financing.

• Incorporating the balance between water demand and water supply in all future land-use and planning
decisions.

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 CITY OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
COUNCIL POLICY

• Development of a diverse portfolio of cost-effective local sources of water.

POLICY:
s,
For ease of organization, the following policies are categorized as ei general, or related to water
quality, conservation, importation and local and regional supplies

A. General

It is the policy of the City Council that:

"

1. The Mayor, Public Utilities Department or t or's designee, shall ad

Council committee regularly on the City's curre ' " d future water supplies. '
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2. The Mayor and Intergovernmenta F''''''<'Vitor legislative an€gulatory actions,
court decisions, and other events ter supply and report to the City
Council on a bi-annual basis.

3. The San Diego Count ad agency for procuring

imported water to City the San Diego region. As a
memberofCW eeded in working with the Metropolitan
Water District ( ,ter Resourcet(DWR), the County of San Diego,
other local water a efforts to satisfy the future water requirements of
the region.

4. .wor closely with the City Council appointed

ursuit of an adequate water supply in the future

5.

focus on a W
representatives. '
recommend the Ci

6. The Independent Rates versight Committee (IROC) shall report to the City Council on a bi-annual
basis for the purpose of discussing water issues related to its activities and annual reports.

It is the policy of the City Council to:

7. Support economically sound activities that create an affordable and reliable water supply to attract,

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 CITY OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
COUNCIL POLICY

retain and expand business, and promote an excellent quality of life for our residents.

8. Support land-use decisions that are aligned with the City's Urban Water Management Plan and the
City's General Plan.

9. Support the appropriate use of Water Supply Assessment

10. Support and partner with businesses and organizati n ractical new technologies and
scientific research to assist the City in developin ply.

11. Support and partner with businesses and orgaruzations that can provide a allce to the City in
water, wastewater and storm water facilities p g in order mitigate arlct'\ are for Climate
Change and other infrastructure challenges and uaintie

12. Support public-public and public-

local and regional water sources.

B.

It is th

1. potable water that meets or exceeds all regulations and health

County regulatory agencies.

2. tomers with non-potable water that meets or exceeds all health and
y State and County regulatory agencies. In addition, support
t decrease salinity and other contaminants that may adversely affect
er.

3. Monitor the review and potential promulgation of regulations pertaining to Contaminants of Concern
by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

C. Conservation

It is the policy of the City Council to:

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COUNCIL POLICY

1. Support a multi-class, tiered rate or allocation pricing structure for water customers that encourages
conservation and discourages waste; supports the needs of private sector businesses and agriculture;
and takes into account specific data such as Geographic InformationSystems
,t
(GIS) data, single parcel
t,.:' 'l:~

information, geographic zones and evapotranspiration rates. ./;~',_.{]f'

2. Support rebates and other economic incentive programcoutage water conservation, partnering
with the CWA, MWD, State and Federal Government 11 din~'{; "ensure the public is aware,
economic incentive programs should be included -,.1>,"'" reach and e on programs.

3. Support local and regional education and out ervation and water
efficient landscaping. Public outreach on wat " wareness should stress the
'«" ;:,.;
al benefit of
~

reduction efforts and using water efficient technologies as we • -. . emonstrati , iects,

4. Explore the feasibility of authori~i~x:~hange of water, mers, through water-credit trading or

.~""",~,.
other similar programs that encourage''Coits .
,\~:1i.i'''i"
tion.
, .~"":.
.~':~~
5. Support the pre-treatment of industrial'e ~
dilution.

6.

7. " t Emergency Restrictions in Municipal Code

California Green Building Standards Code.

D.

1. and inexpensive imported water sources are finite.

2. Support economica . 0 "'..:~C ctivities that reduce the City's reliance on imported sources of water
,-c

and increase local suppU~~'"

3. Support efforts by CWA and others to seek new, cost-effective water supply sources.

4. Support pricing and repayment policies for all future water contracts and all future projects that shall
ensure that beneficiaries pay their full share of costs associated with development and operation of
those facilities.

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5. Identify and support water transfer and storage opportunities between local and regional suppliers as
authorized by State Water Code Division 1, Chapter 7.

E. Local and Regional Supply

1. Support development of a local water supply to meet

2. Support the continued cost-effective expansion

under Title 22, Article 3 of the California Co

3. Support a rate structure for non-potable recyc

effective expansion of non-potable recycled wat

4. Support simplification of regulat -potable recycled w er for residential

landscape irrigation.

5. Support small/medium scale wastewa

where feasible.

6. Support indire onstration Project is successful.

7.

8.

9. incentive p rams for graywater and rainwater collection

D, State and Federal Government for funding.

ish groundwater desalination proj ects.

provements in the field of desalination.

13. Support activities that help divert storm water to local reservoirs and underground aquifers, including
Low Impact Development (LID) projects and policies.

14. Support the construction of regional storage reservoirs or enlargement of existing reservoirs as
needed.

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15. Support programs to recharge, protect and improve the yield from local and regional groundwater
basins.

16. Maintain an em~rg~ncy re~erve storage of wate~ as spec~fied ~t~ C?uncil P?licy 400-04 for the
purpose of cushionmg the impact of temporary mterruptlOnv'dehvery of imported water. Such
storage to be in an amount sufficient to cover reasonably ted needs until repairs can be
completed to supply lines in the event of unforeseen em r natural disasters.

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