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Section 5-1-2. Goal. Provide safe, reliable, and efficient public utility systems that serve existing communities, support planned growth, protect environmental resources, and remain affordable over the long term. Article 2. Water Supply. Section 5-2-1. Policies. (1) Safe and dependable drinking water is a basic public service and public trust. The County should ensure reliable and adequate potable water service for homes, businesses, agriculture, and public facilities in existing and planned development areas. (2) Meeting future water needs requires shared responsibility. The County should work proactively with private landowners, developers, and other partners to identify opportunities for shared investment in new water sources and infrastructure that meet County standards. (3) Water system planning should reinforce the County's land use vision. Water system improvements should be planned and prioritized in alignment with the County's land use policies and designated growth areas. (4) Growth should occur where water service can be provided responsibly and efficiently. Land use and development decisions should be coordinated with planned or available water system capacity to avoid overextension, service gaps, or unnecessary public costs. (5) Protecting water sources is essential to long-term water security. Watersheds, recharge areas, and drinking water sources should be protected from contamination, overuse, degradation, and depletion. (6) Maintaining existing infrastructure is as important as building new systems. The County should prioritize maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of aging or inadequate water infrastructure to ensure continued reliability. (7) Efficient water use helps stretch limited resources and control costs. The County should encourage water conservation and efficiency across residential, commercial, agricultural, and public sectors to reduce demand on limited supplies. (8) Decentralized systems can be appropriate in certain contexts. Well -designed private catchment and other decentralized approaches should be recognized as viable alternatives where appropriate, reducing unnecessary demand on public infrastructure while supporting household and community needs. (9) New development should minimize its impact on limited water supplies. In areas with constrained or vulnerable water resources, new development should incorporate design measures that reduce net water demand and move toward water -neutral or low -impact use. (10) Agriculture must be considered alongside other water needs. Water planning decisions should account for agricultural water demands in coordination with residential, commercial, and public uses. 36