 The San Diego region maintains a delicate balance with the water that surrounds it, runs through it, nourishes it and sustains it. It is precisely this balance between water use and protection that allows the San Diego region to be an active economic and environmentally viable region which can support continued growth and development, while preserving the natural and historic beauty of this coastal region.
Water Quality
The San Diego region's water bodies, including lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams, lagoons, estuaries and bays, are some of our most valuable natural resources. They provide habitat for many of the region's rare, threatened and endangered species, while also serving an important cleansing function to help remove pollutants before reaching the ocean. The beaches and water bodies along our coastline provide residents and visitors places for relaxation and recreation and serve as a major economic stimulus to the region.
Ensuring the quality of our water bodies is important in maintaining a high quality of life in the region. This can be accomplished by eliminating sewage spills and chemical pollution, by reducing stormwater pollution that occurs when rainwater flows into the water bodies, and by not allowing any contaminants to enter our stormdrain system during dry weather.
Water Supply
The San Diego region is a semi-arid environment, with a limited indigenous water supply. Our region is therefore dependent on a mix of local supplies and the importation of outside drinking water sources. These sources include water from the Colorado River, as well as the Northern California Delta system.
One local agency, the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA), is charged with managing the overall daily flow of drinking water through our region, and assuring that the region's future growth can be supported by existing and new supplies. The CWA uses SANDAG's most recent regional growth forecasts for planning current and future water demand in the region and to continually update the water supply forecasts for the region.
| 
