(Posted May 22, 2026) North Marin Water District today announced its support for Vision for Our Water Future, a statewide initiative led by the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) to advance a reliable, safe and affordable water future for California.
The initiative brings together water leaders, business organizations and labor partners to elevate water as a top priority for state leaders. The Vision document (ACWA Vision Document) outlines practical, solutions-focused actions to strengthen California’s water system.
California’s water system faces increasing challenges from more extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and growing demand. At the same time, local water agencies continue to invest in and advance solutions to improve reliability and serve their communities.
The Vision for Our Water Future outlines key priorities, including elevating water as a statewide leadership priority, protecting affordability, delivering critical infrastructure, and modernizing water management. These actions are intended to provide a framework to support a more integrated and resilient water system that can meet the evolving needs of communities and the economy. North Marin Water District’s 2025 Novato System Master Plan is the pathway to delivering local critical infrastructure and modernizing water management.
North Marin Water District’s Board of Directors approved supporting ACWA and a coalition of partners in supporting the Vision and working with state leaders to advance these priorities. A copy of the District’s letter of support is available HERE.
(Posted May 1, 2026) The FREE Eco-Friendly Garden Tour is on May 9th from 10am to 4pm. Come and discover how native plants and drought-tolerant designs create beautiful, water-wise landscapes perfect for our California climate. Explore beautiful gardens across Sonoma and Marin counties and learn how to create your own sustainable oasis. The tour includes three awesome gardens in Novato.
Click HERE to sign up for the free tour.
(Posted April 6, 2026) The American Water Works Association (AWWA) released an infrastructure and affordability report on March 26, 2026. The report, titled Beyond the Replacement Era, is timely in light of the District’s recently adopted Novato Water System Master Plan and the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The key takeaways from the report include:
- Drinking water utilities not only face infrastructure replacement challenges but additional compounding cost drivers such as regulatory compliance, climate resilience and cybersecurity.
- The is a large gap in current funding levels for water infrastructure, especially via the federal government.
- The resulting burden on water customers will continue to increase and bills will likely double and disproportionately affect low-income households.
For the full report click HERE.
(Posted February 13, 2026) North Marin Water District (District) has updated the Novato Water System Master Plan (Master Plan) to guide investment decisions of both near- and long-term system improvements in the Novato Service Area. The original Master Plan was established in 2002 and three subsequent updates have occurred, the most recent one in 2018. This Master Plan update expands on previous versions and is intended to be a dynamic document that can be updated as new information, data, and practices become available. The Master Plan identifies necessary system improvements for its current operation, expands asset management methodologies, updates future water demand forecasts based on current State Housing Mandates, and integrates risk and resilience practices to improve the overall reliability of the Novato Water system. To view the current final plan click HERE.
(Updated April 15, 2026) The Marin Municipal Water District (Marin Water), the water provider for central and southern Marin, is currently working on the preliminary design and environmental review of pipeline and related facilities that would move excess winter Russian River flows to storage reservoirs in Marin, providing critical drought resiliency.
The District provided comments regarding Marin Water’s proposed Environmental Impact Report for the project. A copy of the District’s comment letter is HERE.
If you would like further information on Marin Water’s ARC Project, please see their project webpage: www.marinwater.org/ARCproject
(Posted February 12, 2026) The North Marin Water District (District) is currently working on the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) and updating the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP). The UWMP integrates land use, water needs and supply, and demand management measures to document the District’s ability to provide a reliable supply of water to its customers projecting 25 years ahead. The associated WSCP considers dry-year water supply planning, including strategies to address water supply shortage conditions and emergencies proactively. A draft should be available in Spring of 2026 and Board approval through a public hearing is expected in June 2026.
If you would like further information or would like to provide input during the preparation of the District’s 2025 UWMP and WSCP, please contact the District at (415) 897-4133 or info@nmwd.com.