West Marin System – Future Projects
Pipeline Projects
Replace Outdated Pipe Material – The District’s West Marin System has areas which contain pipe material that do not meet current best practices for water systems. The outdated pipe material includes galvanized steel pipe, thin-walled plastic, and polybutylene service connections. The District has identified approximately 1.5 miles of pipe material that needs to be replaced for this purpose. Cost of replacement will vary based on project complexity, size of pipe, and physical location.
Replace Backbone Distribution Pipeline – Due to the age of the West Marin System, the District anticipates the need to replace key distribution pipeline over the next 20 years. However, given the unknowns District staff has included two separate placeholder projects in their planning work, the first project anticipated to take place in years 1 through 10, and the second project taking place in years 11 through 20.
Tank and Pump Station Projects
Olema – The Olema Zone is served by a pump station along Highway 1 that is located in a low-lying area that is prone to flooding during even the most modest of winters. When flooded, District staff is unable to enter the pump station to service critical equipment, and frequent power failure limit the efficiency of the facility. The Olema Zone is also served by a small concrete tank along Sir Francis Drake Blvd, which has limited communication capabilities to the rest of the West Marin System. Both of these facilities are in need of capital investments to improve the District’s ability to serve the Olema area for years to come.
Paradise Ranch Estates – The Paradise Ranch Estates (PRE) Zone is served by a series of four tanks, each with a nearby pump station that moves water up the ridge to the next tank. PRE Tanks No. 1 and No. 2 are made out of old growth redwood and each have a capacity of 25,000 gallons. Although they are in relatively good condition, the District would like to replace both facilities to increase their capacity and use a material(s) that is more resilient to fire.
Pt. Reyes Station – The Pt. Reyes Station zone is served by three (3) separate tanks located on Water Tank Road, totaling 580,000 gallons of storage. These tanks are filled directly from the Pt. Reyes Treatment Plant and establish the baseline service pressures for the District’s entire West Marin System. The smallest of the three tanks, Tank No. 2, has a capacity of 100,000 gallons and its coating needs replacement.
Bear Valley – The Bear Valley zone is served by a small pump station on Bear Valley Road and three (3) separate concrete tanks located above Fox Drive, totaling 30,000 gallons of storage. The tanks are in relatively good condition but the pump station structure is nearing the end of its service life. Replacing the structure with non-combustible materials would increase the District’s resiliency in this zone.
Inverness Park – The Inverness Park zone is served by a small pump station on Balboa Avenue and two (2) separate steel tanks also located on Balboa Avenue, totaling 130,000 gallons of storage. The tanks are in relatively good condition but the pump station structure is nearing the end of its service life. Replacing the structure with non-combustible materials would increase the District’s resiliency in this zone.
Water Supply Projects
New Well(s) – The District’s West Marin System consists of four wells situated at two sites adjacent to Lagunitas Creek. Two wells, referred to as the Coast Guard Wells, are located on the former U.S. Coast Guard property in Point Reyes Station, while the other two, Gallagher Well 1 and Gallagher Well 2, are located on the Gallagher Family Ranch approximately one mile upstream.
Gallagher Well 1 is a municipal well located on NMWD-owned property at the Gallagher Family Ranch, and has reached the end of its useful service life and needs to be replaced. The District is currently evaluating potential locations for the replacement of the municipal supply well. The primary objectives of this effort are;
- Reduce reliance on the Coast Guard Wells due to increased salinity concentrations
- Replace lost source capacity from Gallagher Well 1
The only phase of the project that is currently funded is the siting study, which is in progress. The next phase of the project would be to conduct in-situ feasibility testing and an environmental analysis, followed by design and ultimately construction. None of these phases are currently funded.
Water Treatment Plant – The Pt. Reyes Treatment Plant (PR-TP) is located adjacent to the former U.S. Coast Guard property in Point Reyes Station. The PR-TP was constructed circa 1972 and has several deferred maintenance concerns. The constrained site makes rehabilitation or expansion of the existing facility challenging. The District is considering several alternatives, including relocation of the facility altogether.
The District’s pay-go model for funding capital improvements does not support projects of this magnitude, so an external funding source(s) will be required before any improvements can be made to this facility beyond standard maintenance.