Report Summary

San Diego faces a continuing challenge for adequate water supply and water quality. Infill development provides a useful tool for the region to safeguard water supplies and ensure continuing water quality.

Infill development, consistent with General Plans for both the City and County of San Diego, can provide relief from the combination of drought susceptibility, deteriorating water infrastructure, and population growth.

Numerous pieces of California legislation such as SB 375, SB 743, and Executive Order S-3-05 address the well-documented benefits of infill development on public health, air quality, housing affordability, and transportation infrastructure. Less appreciated are the considerable benefits surrounding the reduced costs and efficiencies of developing compactly within close proximity to locations with existing water infrastructure. In arid, drought prone regions, it is crucial to implement existing policies to support compact infill development, which have been found to shrink water demand, lower costs, and improve water quality.