San Mateo Tank Transmission Line

San Mateo Tank Transmission Line

Construction was completed in Fall 2025 on  a new, large-diameter transmission main from the San Mateo Tank to the existing distribution system along San Mateo Way. When the San Mateo Tank was originally constructed in the 1960s, a 12-inch main was installed to provide a connection to the distribution system and was considered temporary. At that time, further development was anticipated along the slopes of Mount Burdell, and the plan was to eventually extend the 24-inch main from Palmo Way to the tank as development progressed.

However, in the 1970s, the Marin County Open Space District acquired the Mount Burdell Preserve, halting any future development in the area. As a result, the temporary 12-inch main has remained in place to this day, resulting in a hydraulic bottleneck in the system as development occurred in other areas of Novato.

Installation of the new large-diameter transmission main eliminated the hydraulic bottleneck, enhancing the District’s ability to satisfy emergency fire flow demands in the San Marin area. In addition, the new main increased energy efficiently during operation.

The District contracted with the local contractor, Team Ghilotti, Inc through a competitive bid process to perform the work. Construction began in August 2025 and was completed in October 2025.

We thank the nearby community for their patience during construction impacts and understanding for the importance of this critical infrastructure upgrade.

 

Project Vicinity Map