Water Quality Improvement Plan

The Regional Water Quality Control Board's permit (PDF) requires Responsible Agencies or co-permittees in each of the regions Watershed Management Areas to develop Water Quality Improvement Plans. For the City of Del Mar, this would include Water Quality Improvement Plans for the San Dieguito and Los Peñasquitos Watersheds.

By identifying the Highest Priority Water Quality Conditions and Priority Water Quality Conditions, the City established the focus of the program's planning and implementation efforts.

Through the priorities, goals, and strategies that are established within the Water Quality Improvement Plans, these documents act as a guide or planning tool for the City of Del Mar's jurisdictional programs. In turn, the City of Del March has developed a Jurisdiction Runoff Management Plan which acts as an implementation document. This document contains the City's specific strategies, standards, and protocols that the City will implement in response to the priorities and goals established in the Water Quality Improvement Plans.

The Highest Priority Water Quality Conditions selected for the Los Peñasquitos Watershed Management Area are:

  • Freshwater discharges during dry conditions and transport of sediment from upstream sources (current and historical) during rain events, which impact the estuarine and special biological habitats of Los Peñasquitos Lagoon
  • Indicator bacteria levels at Torrey Pines State Beach near the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon mouth

The Highest Priority Water Quality Conditions selected for the San Dieguito Watershed Management Area are:

  • Indicator bacteria levels at beaches near the San Dieguito Lagoon mouth

The City developed goals and schedules for achieving those goals in order to have measurable targets and metrics to measure progress towards improving water quality. Once the goals were established, the City then identified the strategies that would be implemented to address the City's discharges and make water quality improvements. Strategies typically address multiple conditions; therefore, it is anticipated that all priority conditions will be improved through implementation of the selected water quality improvement strategies.

Examples of City activities implemented to address potential sources of pollution (e.g, uncovered dumpsters, improper storage of hazardous materials, and leaking equipment) include:

  • Focused inspections of commercial, municipal, and construction sites
  • Response to public or City staff observations of potential polluting activities
  • Observations of storm drains to identify pollutant sources
  • Investigations of pollutant sources
  • Cleaning of the storm drain system
  • Street sweeping
  • Diverting non-stormwater discharges to the sanitary sewer system

Los Peñasquitos Water Quality Improvement Plan (PDF)

San Dieguito Water Quality Improvement Plan (PDF)