Groundwater Management Policy

Managing Groundwater Resources

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

The specific groundwater management programs that have been developed and implemented by ACWD to achieve these policy objectives are described in greater detail in the policy. For an overview of these programs, please download a copy of ACWD's Groundwater Management Policy (PDF).

Policy Basis

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 Alameda County Water District Groundwater Protection Act (Division 12, Part 5, Chapter 1, Article 9.3, commencing with Section 31142.20 of the California Water Code); Alameda County Water District Ordinance No. 2010-01; the Replenishment Assessment Act of the Alameda County Water District (Section 4, Chapter 1942 of the Statutes of 1961, as amended in 1970 and 1974), which grants additional powers to ACWD to prevent pollution, contamination, or diminution in quality of the groundwater supply; agreements with other agencies; and local hazardous materials ordinances.