Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego region

The San Diego Regional Board’s Basin Plan is designed to preserve and enhance water quality and protect the beneficial uses of all regional waters. Specifically, the Basin Plan: (1) designates beneficial uses for surface and ground waters; (2) sets narrative and numerical objectives that must be attained or maintained to protect the designated beneficial uses and conform to the state’s antidegradation policy; (3) describes implementation programs to protect the beneficial uses of all waters in the Region; and (4) describes surveillance and monitoring activities to evaluate the effectiveness of the Basin Plan [California Water Code sections 13240 thru 13244, and section 13050(j)]. Additionally, the Basin Plan incorporates by reference all applicable State and Regional Board plans and policies.

The goal of the Regional Board is to achieve a balance between the competing needs of mankind for water of varying quality. Often times the constituents and quality of water needed to protect various beneficial uses will be different.

The Basin Plan is the Regional Board’s plan for achieving the balance between competing uses of surface and ground waters in the San Diego Region. Accordingly, this Basin Plan establishes or designates beneficial uses and water quality objectives for all the ground and surface waters of the Region. Beneficial uses are the uses of water necessary for the survival and well being of man, plants and wildlife. These uses of water serve to promote the tangible and intangible economic, social, and environmental goals of mankind. Water quality objectives are the levels of water quality constituents or characteristics which must be met to protect the beneficial uses. This Basin Plan also establishes an implementation program describing the actions by the Regional Board and others that are necessary to achieve and maintain the designated beneficial uses and water quality objectives of the Region’s waters.