Goal NR-6: Improve overall water quality by protecting surface and groundwater sources, restoring creeks and rivers to their natural state, and conserving water resources.
Water is vital to both natural processes and human activities. The quantity, quality, and availability of the Bay Area’s surface and groundwater resources are of vital importance to community health and ecosystem preservation. Like much of the Bay Area, portions of the Planning Area have experienced problems with both water supply and quality. In addition to protecting water sources, it is also critical to develop active strategies for reducing overall water demand. The goal and policies in this section identify methods for protecting valuable surface and groundwater resources from contaminants, restoring natural features to improve their functionality, and conserving water for future generations.
The City shall coordinate with local and regional partners to improve and restore surface watercourses to their natural condition to the greatest extent possible.
The City shall prohibit groundwater withdrawals in industrial and commercial areas near the Bay shoreline which could result in saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers.
The City shall ensure that dredging and grading activities do not contribute to sedimentation of saltwater sloughs or marshes.
The City shall minimize grading and, where appropriate, consider requiring onsite retention and settling basins.
The City shall concentrate new urban development in areas that are the least susceptible to soil erosion into water bodies in order to reduce water pollution.
The City shall promote stormwater management techniques that minimize surface water runoff and impervious ground surfaces in public and private developments, including requiring the use of Low-Impact Development (LID) techniques to best manage stormwater through conservation, onsite filtration, and water recycling.
The City shall protect baylands by ensuring that proper measures are in place to safely remove toxic metals in sewage prior to disposal.
The City shall continue to comply with the San Francisco Bay Region National Pollutant Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Regional Permit.
The City shall require water customers to actively conserve water year-round, and especially during drought years.
The City shall support efforts by the regional water provider to increase water recycling by residents, businesses, non-profits, industries, and developers, including identifying methods for water recycling and rainwater catchment for indoor and landscape uses in new development.
The City shall take an active role in increasing the use of reclaimed water and educating the community about the methods of safe collection and benefits of using reclaimed water.
The City shall encourage the installation and use of dual plumbing systems in new buildings to recycle greywater.
The City shall coordinate with the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District to advance water recycling programs, including using treated wastewater to irrigate parks, golf courses, and roadway landscaping and encouraging rainwater catchment system-wide and greywater usage techniques in new buildings.
The City shall use native or drought-tolerant vegetation in the landscaping of all public facilities.
The City shall encourage private property owners to plant native or drought-tolerant vegetation in order to preserve the visual character of the area and reduce the need for toxic sprays and groundwater supplements.
The City shall continue to implement the Bay-Friendly Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.