(Posted January 23, 2023) North Marin Water District will begin its annual water main flushing program starting late January 2023. This is a standard practice to ensure there is no degradation in water quality and to maintain an adequate chlorine residual (disinfectant) which helps prevent any bacterial growth in the pipelines. Customers may temporarily experience low water pressure or a slight, but harmless color in their water when the flushing is conducted in their neighborhood. This is an annual practice that has been put on hold for the last couple of years due to drought. NMWD crews have developed specific routes and use isolation valves to maximize results using the least amount of water possible. Flushing is performed in the winter months when there is a sufficient water supply for the task.

(Posted January 10, 2023) Stafford Lake is currently full (as of January 9) and the spillway is flowing for the first time in 4 years. While this is great news for our local supply, we are still keeping a close eye on the water supply levels in Lake Sonoma in the Russian River watershed. Keep in mind we are still in a state-mandated “Stage 2” water conservation order and Emergency Conservation Ordinance No. 41 is still in effect.  For more information on lake level, water production and weather, please visit our Weather and Production Page which is updated every morning at 7:15am.

(Posted December 2022) North Marin Water District is pleased to announce that it will be receiving Department of Water Resources funding through Prop 1, for the following projects and conservation activities:

  1. Advanced metering installation (including AMI and Flume Devices)
  2. Cash for Grass Turf Removal Rebate Program
  3. Weather Based Irrigation Controller Rebate Program
  4. System Component Analysis which is a deeper inspection and review into specific components or activities that may be contributing to non-revenue water (water loss) in the water system.

Funding for this project has been provided in part from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 and through an agreement with the State Department of Water Resources.

 

(Posted on November 22, 2022) The District is proposing changes to the connection fees for new development and expanded service in the Novato, Recycled Water and West Marin Service Areas. If approved by the Board at the Public hearing, the changes will be incorporated in District Regulation 1 effective soon after the hearing. Customers and interested parties are welcome and encouraged to attend the public hearing on December 6, 2022.

District Regulation 1 establishes the Facility Reserve Charge (FRC) costs for the Novato Service Area and the West Marin Service Area. The FRC cost varies depending on the type of development or planned water use, such as the various types of residential structures in addition to a single-family home (townhouses, apartments, etc.), assessor dwelling units (ADUs) as well as commercial development. Regulation 1 is periodically reviewed and updated and the most recent updates specific to FRCs were conducted in 2008 for the Novato Service Area and in 2014 for the West Marin Service Area.

The current proposed changes actually have a connection fee reduction for Accessory Dwelling Units as a result of the study, while the other structure type fees remain at similar levels or have slight increases.  

For more information about the proposed changes to connection fees:

2022 NMWD Facility Reserve Charge Study

2022 NMWD Facility Reserve Charge Study PowerPoint Presentation

 

(Updated December 8, 2022) A vacancy currently exists on the Board of Directors of North Marin Water District due to the death of Director James Grossi. The Board will appoint a successor who will serve until the next general election of the District scheduled for November 2024. Any registered voter residing within Division 1 of the District and interested in the post is invited to contact the District Secretary at (415) 897-4133. The area of the District generally includes the greater Novato area and the Point Reyes Station, Olema, Bear Valley, lnverness Park, Paradise Ranch Estates and Oceana Marin areas of West Marin.  Please refer to the interactive map here to determine if you reside within Division 1 (Zoom in on the map for street level detail).

Applicants were requested to submit a letter of interest by December 2,2022 and describe their experience, educational background and previous public service and outline why they are interested in serving on the Board of Directors. Thank you to those who submitted their letter of interest. The Board of Directors will review the letters of interest and interview applicants at an open public meeting tentatively scheduled for December 13, 2022. The meeting will be held at the District headquarters located at 100 Wood Hollow Drive, Novato, California and the Board will make an appointment to fill the vacancy at this meeting.

(Posted October 28, 2022) Earlier this year, the District conducted a Local Water Supply Enhancement Study to evaluate water supply alternatives for the Novato area. The goal is to ensure the District has a resilient strategy for sustainable water supply to minimize the impact of future droughts. 

In addition to working with an engineering consultant with expertise in water supply alternatives, North Marin Water District held two community workshops in January and April of this year. At the April workshop, a draft report was presented with findings and recommendations in order to gain public feedback.

North Marin Water District staff presented the final Local Water Supply Enhancement Study to the Board of Directors, and it was accepted at the Board Meeting on July 19th, 2022. The Study identifies three local alternatives that scored high using the established evaluation criteria, including overall cost and weighted qualitative scoring. 

Beginning this new fiscal year, we will be moving forward with two of the three initiatives::

A third alternative, diverting captured stormwater into Stafford Lake, requires significant collaboration with other stakeholders and so will take more time to formulate. The Study concluded that other alternatives are not feasible at the local level but could be pursued regionally and through partnership with other agencies. Many of these alternatives such as groundwater sources, aquifer storage and recovery, and desalination were also identified in Sonoma Water’s Drought Resiliency Analysis.

As well as these promising solutions identified by the Local Water Supply Enhancement Study, North Marin Water District continues to prioritize strategies that will secure water supplies for our customers in the years ahead.

For more information, visit https://nmwd.com/save-water/new-water-supplies/

Photo of the Spillway at Stafford Lake.