The Groundwater Management Policy is based on the statutory authority granted to ACWD under the County Water District Law (commencing with Section 30000 of the Water Code); the Replenishment Assessment Act of the Alameda County Water District (Section 4, Chapter 1942 of the Statutes of 1961, as amended in 1970 and 1973), which grants additional powers to ACWD to prevent pollution, contamination, or diminution in quality of the groundwater supply; local well ordinances (Fremont No. 950, as amended; Newark No. 136; and Union City No. 109-73); agreements with other agencies; and local hazardous materials ordinances.

The purpose of this policy is to protect and improve ACWD’s groundwater resources for the benefit of both ACWD’s customers and private well owners by taking actions designed to meet the following objectives:

• Increase groundwater replenishment capability.
• Increase the usable storage of the groundwater basin.
• Operate the basin to provide: (1) a reliable water supply to meet baseload and peak distribution system demands, (2) an emergency source of supply, and (3) reserve storage to augment dry year supplies.
• Protect groundwater quality from degradation from any and all sources including: saline water intrusion, wastewater discharges, recycled water use, urban and agricultural runoff, or chemical contamination.
• Improve groundwater quality by (1) removing salts and other contaminants from affected areas of the basin, and (2) improving the water quality of source water used for groundwater recharge.

Specific groundwater management programs have been developed and implemented by ACWD to achieve these policy objectives. For an overview of these programs, please download a copy of ACWD’s groundwater management policy.

Under the authority of the Replenishment Assessment Act of the Alameda County Water District, ACWD charges operators of water production facilities an assessment based on the quantity of groundwater produced. Replenishment Assessment rates are reviewed annually;  effective July 1, 2009, the assessment is $8.00/acre-foot for agricultural and municipal-recreation uses and $217.00/acre-foot for all other uses.  Water wells, dewatering wells, and chemical investigation extraction wells are considered water production facilities. A copy of the Replenishment Assessment Act can be downloaded here.

The purpose of the annual survey report is to provide information on the District's groundwater basin in accordance with the Replenishment Assessment Act. Survey reports are prepared annually as ordered by the Board of Directors. A copy of the most recent Annual Survey Report can be downloaded here.

The Spring/Fall Groundwater Monitoring Program, initiated in 1961, is a semiannual field effort to document the status of wells, obtain water level measurements, and collect water samples. The Spring Program is conducted primarily in March and the Fall Program is conducted primarily in September. The Fall Program’s purpose is to update information on groundwater flow and quality and to provide some insight into subsurface conditions throughout the service area when water levels tend to be at their lowest levels. The Spring Program is conducted to provide insight into subsurface conditions throughout the service area when water levels tend to be at their highest levels. To verify the consistency of data and to further define the isocontour lines based on water quality conditions, a larger set of wells is sampled during the Fall Program. Monitoring wells are selected based on overall coverage, accessibility, and available historic data. A copy of the most recent Groundwater Monitoring Report can be downloaded here.

The Department of Water Resources has published reports that present the results of groundwater basin evaluations in California. Bulletins applicable to the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin are:

• DWR Bulletin No. 81, Intrusion of Salt Water Into Ground Water Basins of Southern Alameda County, December 1960
• DWR Bulletin No. 118-1, Evaluation of Ground Water Resources South Bay Volume I: Fremont Study Area, August 1968
• DWR Bulletin No. 118-1, Evaluation of Ground Water Resources: South San Francisco Bay Volume II: Additional Fremont Study Area, August 1973
• DWR Bulletin No. 118-1, Evaluation of Ground Water Resources South Bay Appendix A: Geology, August 1967.  A copy of this appendix can be downloaded here (PDF - 70 MB)
• DWR Bulletin No. 147-2, Groundwater Basin Protection Projects: Fremont Salinity Barrier, June 1975

For further information on DWR Bulletin publications, click here.

To obtain a recent copy of California 's Groundwater - Bulletin 118, updated in 2003, please click here

Characterizing Groundwater Recharge: A Comprehensive Isotopic Approach

The purpose of the project was to demonstrate the value of age-dating and isotopic tracers in characterizing the flow dynamics and water quality changes in a complex groundwater domain that includes high capacity municipal pumping wells, a geologic fault, and artificial recharge facilities with deep lake-like recharge ponds. For additional details on the project and details on how to obtain a copy of the report, click here

ACWD has been awarded two Local Groundwater Management Assistance Program grants from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The first grant, for fiscal year 2003-2004, was in the amount of $249,900 to install eight monitoring wells in four locations south of Highway 92 in the northwest region of the Niles Cone groundwater Basin. This project has been completed and a final report was issued on April 12, 2006; a copy of the report can be downloaded here (PDF - 50MB).

The second grant, for fiscal year 2004-2005, was in the amount of $249,943 to install eight monitoring wells in two locations within the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge in the southwest region of the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin. This project has been completed and a final report was issued on May 7, 2007; a copy of the report can be downloaded here (PDF - 35MB).

Additional information on DWR's grant program can be found by clicking here.

Groundwater Guardian Affiliates are entities at the state, regional, or other level that work to promote shared responsibility for groundwater protection by providing services and assisting communities with their local groundwater protection activities.

As a groundwater guardian affiliate, ACWD's Result Oriented Services have included:

• Continued outreach efforts to area schools. Over 1,500 students participated in programs that stress the importance of groundwater during the 2006-2007 school year. Another 257 classes received materials about groundwater. Pamphlets and brochures explaining the importance and benefits of groundwater protection, pollution prevention, and water conservation methods were distributed at public events as well as in water bill inserts.
• Updated two components of the district's groundwater management plan, including groundwater monitoring and reporting on groundwater conditions.

For more details regarding the Groundwater Guardian Affiliate Program, please click here.

These guidelines outline the general requirements for Leaking Underground Fuel Tank and Spills, Leaks, Investigation and Cleanup cases. A copy of the guidelines can be downloaded here. Please be advised that the guidelines are being revised and an uploaded version will be posted on the website as soon as it is available.  In addition, ACWD developed a LUFT and SLIC flow chart to assist the public in understanding the overall process from the initiation of a LUFT or SLIC case to the goal of case closure.  The LUFT and SLIC process flow can be viewed by clicking here.

Since 1988, ACWD informally provided assistance to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board - San Francisco Bay Region (Regional Board) in overseeing the investigation and remediation at Leaking Underground Fuel Tank and Spills, Leaks, Investigation and Cleanup sites. In order to memorialize the terms of this participation and to further strengthen the coordination between the Regional Board and ACWD, the agencies entered into a Cooperative Agreement on June 27, 1996. ACWD entered into similar Cooperative Agreements with the Cities of Fremont, Newark, and Union City on March 25, 1997, June 26, 1997, and August 12, 1997 to further strengthen the interagency coordination and cost-effective implementation of groundwater protection within the cities. On October 8, 2009, the Cooperative Agreement with the City of Newark was updated to include the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health because of the transfer of the Certified Unified Program Agency responsibility from the City of Newark to the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health.  ACWD also entered into an agreement with the City of Hayward on July 27, 2000 to work cooperatively on sites which threaten or affect water quality in the portion of the City of Hayward that are within the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin (Hayward Detachment areas). Click on the following links to download a copy of agreement with:

The Regional Water Quality Control Board
City of Fremont
City of Newark and Alameda County Department of Environmental Health
City of Union City 
City of Hayward

GeoTracker is the interface to the Geographic Environmental Information Management System (GEIMS), a data warehouse which tracks regulatory data about Leaking Underground Fuel Tank and Spills, Leaks, Investigation and Cleanup cases and public drinking water supplies. For more details about Geotracker, visit the web site at: click here

The document, "Screening For Environmental Concerns at Sites With Contaminated Soil and Groundwater", (4th edition, February 2005) is a technical report prepared by staff of the California Regional Water Quality Board, San Francisco Bay Region. Information provided in the document is not intended to establish policy or regulation. Volume 1 of the document presents lookup tables of conservative Environmental Screening Levels ("ESLs") for over 100 chemicals commonly found at sites with contaminated soil and groundwater. Volume 2 describes how the ESLs were developed and provides detailed tables and appendices in support of the summary lookup tables. For more details and to download copies of the ESL documents, please visit the web site: click here

The S.F. Bay Regional Board Groundwater Committee, in coordination with the Alameda County Water District, Santa Clara Valley Water District and San Mateo County Environmental Health Services Division, prepared a May 2003 report titled "A Comprehensive Groundwater Protection Evaluation for South San Francisco Bay Basins" which included an evaluation of the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin. A copy of the report can be downloaded from the Regional Board Web Site by visiting the following link: click here

The following documents related to water well standards in the State of California are available here.

• California Laws for Wells
• Bulletin 74-2: Water Well Standards - Alameda County
• Bulletin 74-81: Water Well Standards – State of California
• Bulletin 74-90: Water Well Standards – State of California

Since groundwater is utilized for a major portion of Alameda County Water District's (ACWD) drinking water supply, Fremont, Newark, and Union City Well Ordinances are administered by ACWD to protect the groundwater basin. These City Ordinances regulate all work on wells and boreholes associated with the following three categories of drilling activities: (I) water wells, cathodic protection wells, or dewatering wells, (II) geotechnical investigations, and (III) chemical investigations.

Click on the following links to download a copy of the Well Ordinance:

• City of Fremont
• City of Newark
• City of Union City
• Hayward Well Standards

For information on obtaining a drilling permit, click here.

The purpose of the project was to investigate, identify, and locate abandoned wells located in areas surrounding ACWD’s production facilities. ACWD’s interest in identifying injection wells within the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin is due to the groundwater basin’s susceptibility to contaminants entering abandoned or improperly constructed wells thereby creating what the USEPA has defined as a Class V injection well. ACWD has been concerned about abandoned wells and drilling activities since the late 1950’s. ACWD’s concerns are supported by the Department of Water Resources Bulletin No. 81 that determined abandoned and defective wells were a significant contributing factor in the degrading of water quality in the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin by saltwater intrusion.

On January 31, 2008, ACWD submitted its final report to the EPA and later received $75,000 from the EPA's Local Government Groundwater Protection Fund for the work performed. ACWD was able to successfully reconcile 1,618 wells within a 24 square mile area. Of the 1,618 wells: 109 wells are active (either for production or groundwater monitoring); 710 wells were destroyed under ACWD permits and/or inspection; and 799 wells remain abandoned. The information collected through this project will be used by ACWD to identify areas where known abandoned wells exist and evaluate their potential to negatively impact the groundwater basin.

In addition, the information collected through the project is being used to enhance ACWD’s well destruction program. When land use changes are proposed for properties, the cities require the property owners or developers to obtain a letter from ACWD indicating whether wells are located within the boundaries of the development. This allows ACWD the opportunity to conduct a search for wells and to oversee the proper destruction of wells before development occurs. As the well permitting agency in its area, ACWD’s well search program has been recognized as a model program by the Groundwater Committee of the CA Regional Water Quality Control Board-San Francisco Bay Region.

ACWD’s participation in the USEPA’s Underground Injection Control program provided valuable information for the protection of water quality and ensuring the continued use of the groundwater basin for water supply to ACWD customers.

A copy of ACWD’s final report to the USEPA can be downloaded here [PDF - 100 MB]

Click here for more information on the US EPA's Underground Injection Control Program. 

In addition to investigating abandoned wells as part of the USEPA Underground Injection Control Project, ACWD worked with the USEPA to identify Aquifer Remediation Wells located within the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin.

Aquifer Remediation Wells are wells and/or boreholes drilled in order to inject fluids to enhance remediation of cleanup sites. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified these types of wells and exploratory boreholes as Class V Aquifer Remediation Injection Wells. Injection wells are regulated by the EPA under the authority of the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program, as provided for by Part C of the Safe Drinking Water Act. As the enforcing agency for the local well ordinances, ACWD is cooperating with the EPA by providing copies of permits issued by ACWD for injection wells and/or exploratory boreholes to EPA Region 9.

The EPA requires all owners/operators of injection wells (including temporary boreholes) to submit inventory information to the EPA regarding the location and type of all injection wells (40 CFR Part 144.26). Updates are required any time there is a significant change in the status of the well, for example, when the well is destroyed, or when ownership changes. According to the EPA, “for more than 95% of all Class V wells, no federal permits will be required. Submission of accurate inventory information makes you “authorized by rule” to operate your injection well(s) provided that they are not used for the disposal of fluids which may endanger underground sources of drinking water.” Compliance with the EPA requirements does not supersede compliance with the City Well Ordinances administered by ACWD.

Please click here to download the EPA’s Injection Well Registration eForm Option if you have submitted a permit application for drilling activities involving injection wells and/or temporary injection though exploratory boreholes within the cities of Fremont, Newark, or Union City. To use the form electronically, use “Tab” to move from one field to next. Save it as YourFacilityName.doc and return by email to janes.elizabeth@epa.gov. To use the form manually, fill in the information and fax the completed forms to (415) 947-3549, or mail them to USEPA R9 WTR9, UIC Inventory, 75 Hawthorne Street, SF, CA 94105.

For additional information regarding these requirements, please visit the EPA Region 9 website at
http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/groundwater/uic-classv.html or contact EPA Region 9’s UIC Program at (415) 972-3537 or (415) 972-3542.