San Diego's Water Supply

We’re in a water crisis. San Diego does not have enough local water supply to meet our demands, so we have to make important decisions on how to reduce our water demand and boost our supply. Water supply is one of the key factors in improving water quality.

•    Importing water to San Diego means using energy, a lot of it.  According to the California Energy Commission, transporting water throughout the state requires 19 percent of California's electricity, consumes 32 percent of the state's natural gas supplies and uses 88 million gallons of diesel, exacerbating climate change concerns.
•    Water transfers put huge stress on the Colorado River and the San Joaquin Delta, lowering water levels in the river and contributing to the collapse of the delta’s fisheries and its ecosystem.
•    Desalination using open ocean intakes sucks in billions of larvae and aquatic wildlife and is a top user of energy; desalination is the only water supply option more energy intensive than importing water.

Working to secure a viable water supply plan
That’s why San Diego Coastkeeper helps in developing an integrated regional water plan that addresses San Diego County’s water supply issues by prioritizing conservation and water reuse and recycling before options like water imports and desalination.

We spearhead efforts to develop a vision to ensure we make smart decisions for our current water supply goals while establishing criteria for evaluating future water supply projects and programs. This vision is necessary to solve the water supply crisis as a comprehensive system, not on a piecemeal basis.

Coastkeeper represents this thinking at the state level as a stakeholder in the planning process for the Integrated Regional Water Management program, a local water resources management approach preferred by the governor, California Department of Water Resources and State Water Resources Control Board. It aims to secure long-term water supply reliability within California by recognizing the inter-connectivity of water supplies and the environment, and then pursuing projects yielding multiple benefits for water supplies, water quality and natural resources. 

Help ensure San Diego’s supply of clean water
You can make simple changes at home to conserve water and reduce our need. You can learn more about water supply options such as conservation, wastewater recycling, rain water harvesting, graywater harvesting and desalination.  And sign up for our electronic news to learn about upcoming hearings encouraging smart reuse and opportunities for you to support environmentally protective decision-making.