(Posted October 21, 2021) On October 19, 2021 the Board adopted a second Amended Emergency Water Conservation Ordinance No. 41 (Ordinance 41) for the Novato Service Area to extend the non-essential water use prohibitions, suspension of new connections to the system and drought surcharge (that went into effect July 1, 2021) past November 1, 2021.  The Amended Ordinance No. 41 now specifically requests that Stage 2 mandated 20% (Novato Service Area Wide) reduction in water use to be achieved with non-essential water use prohibitions and the current drought surcharge continue until such a time that the Board declares that Stage 2 conditions no longer exist.

The adopted non-essential water use prohibitions include a restriction on overhead irrigation unless the customer can maintain a 20% reduction from 2020 water use, irrigate between 7:00pm and 9:00am, and water only three days per week (assigned by odd and even addresses). Drip irrigation and hand watering would be exempt. Customers using less than 300 gallons per day would be exempt from the 20% reduction but would still have to adhere to the 3 days per week requirement.  Additional water use prohibitions include pool filling (for new and refurbished pools drained or constructed after July 1, 2021), potable water use for dust control, car washing except from a bucket and hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle, and golf course irrigation using potable or raw water other than for tees and greens. Recycled water use is exempt from the prohibitions, with the exception of the water waste prohibitions in Ordinance No. 41.  Below is link to the Novato Service Area Drought Guide which contains the full Ordinance No. 41 and a summary of water-use prohibitions.

Novato Service Area Drought Guide

For all customer questions and comments regarding the 2021 drought water use prohibitions or to report a violation, please use our Water Waste Submittal Form: Water Waste Reporting Form  or contact the District’s Water Conservation Hotline at (415) 761-8944 or email at waterconserve@nmwd.com.

West Marin’s Ordinance 39 was also amended to extend Stage 2 past the November 1 end date until such a time as the Board declares that Stage 2 conditions no longer exist.  For West Marin Service Area drought information please click here: West Marin Service Area Drought Guide

(Posted October 7, 2021)

Location: Commodore Webster Drive, Point Reyes Station

Hours of operation
Tuesday 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Friday 9:00am – 1:00pm

Water at this fill station is available to NMWD West Marin service area customers with sodium restricted diets for drinking and cooking while the water in the system has a sodium concentration above 115mg/L. Please bring your own portable containers or bottles.

If you have questions please call 415-761-8929

(Updated October 21, 2021)

Thank you to all of the customers that came out to our third Drought Drop-By event on Saturday October 9th.   We had over 300 customers come by to receive the drought kit.    If you were unable to attend, there are a limited number of leftover kits available at the District’s front counter (Open M-F, 10am to 2pm).

North Marin Water District is holding a third Drought Drop-by event

Saturday, October 9, 2021
From 8am-12pm (noon)
999 Rush Creek Place, Novato

Make sure to drop by and get your FREE Drought Tool Kit which includes:

COVID-19 safety procedures will be in place.

(Updated September 30, 2021)

In recent months, North Marin Water District (NMWD) has received questions, comments, and ideas from customers and others about how we plan to ensure reliable water supplies as we face a hotter and drier future. Here is an update.

The Latest News: In late September, NMWD’s Board of Directors approved a significant new Local Water Supply Enhancement Study to identify potential new water sources for District customers. The Enhancement Study will explore numerous water supply options, including expanding water recycling, adding desalination, capturing and storing stormwater, increasing Stafford Lake’s capacity, and storing water in underground basins in wet years and saving it for dry years. The goal of this study is to identify local solutions for possible implementation.

NMWD is committed to increasing long-term water supply reliability for District customers. In 2018, the District updated its Strategic Plan, and Goal No. 1 was to increase long-term water supply reliability. We have been working to increase the water supply since that goal was established. For example, in 2019, the District joined a Water Supply Resiliency Study with Marin Municipal Water District and seven other water suppliers that receive water from the Russian River and the Sonoma County Water Agency. The regional study is scheduled for completion in Summer 2022. Because of the current drought, we accelerated the schedule to identify some new near-term water supply projects this fall.

The Local Water Supply Enhancement Study continues the District’s long tradition of proactive water management in Novato. NMWD’s forward-thinking approach to sustainable water supplies has been demonstrated by the major water projects constructed in nearly every decade from the 1950s through today.

In recent years, the District, along with two local sanitary districts, massively expanded the recycled water system. As a result, NMWD now delivers over 250 million gallons of recycled water each year to large landscape irrigation customers and drive-through car washes. Every gallon of recycled water used saves a gallon of valuable drinking water for our potable water customers.

In 2019, NMWD installed electronic meters providing real-time data that helps customers monitor their water use and detect leaks.

Last winter, we anticipated water needs during this severe drought, and the District imported water to refill Stafford Lake to over one-half of its capacity for use this summer. We will refill the Lake again in the coming winter if the drought continues.

The Residential Recycled Water Pick-Up Program and Recycled Water Truck Programs are back. Residential customers can fill tanks and containers with clean, safe, recycled water for hand‐watering of outdoor plants. Contractors with water trucks can pick up recycled water for dust control, power washing mixing concrete, street cleaning, and more. See our website at www.nmwd.com or call 415-897-4133 details.

In addition, our industry-leading conservation programs have helped build a permanent culture of mindful water use in Novato. We are especially grateful for our customers’ conservation efforts during this severe drought. Through their cooperative actions, our customers are on track to meet District-wide conservation requirements.

New water projects can take time to complete, so we need to keep conserving. Careful water use stretches our existing supplies, especially during droughts, and helps provide time to identify, plan, and implement new projects to ensure a sustainable water future for Novato.

We will keep the public informed and invite customer questions and input as we identify new water supply opportunities. Please visit our website at www.nmwd.com to learn more about our efforts, and to take advantage of our WaterSmart Portal, free Water Smart home surveys, rebates, and other water conservation information and resources.

 

(Updated September 16, 2021) A study is scheduled for approval at the September 21, 2021 Board meeting for North Marin Water District to explore options for expanding local water supply in our Novato Service Area.

A range of options will be explored during the Local Water Supply Enhancement Study, including expanding our recycled water distribution, capturing stormwater runoff from nearby areas such as Bowman Canyon, and groundwater banking, in which the groundwater aquifer can be recharged during wet years and drawn from during drought years.

The study will also include increasing the capacity of our Stafford Lake reservoir by raising lake elevation by three feet. Approximately 20% of Novato’s water supply comes from Stafford Lake, with imported Russian River water sourced from the Sonoma Water agency making up the rest.

Based on potential growth in Marin County in the coming decade and the prospect of longer drought periods, North Marin Water District board members expressed support for exploring desalination options in this study.

The study would begin in October 2021 and potential options would be brought back to the board by March 2022.

On a larger scale, a regional study is currently underway and is expected to be completed by September 2022. North Marin Water District and other retail water contractors who purchase wholesale water from Sonoma County Water Agency are funding the forward-looking study into the resilience of the regional water system. The Regional Water Supply Resiliency Study was crafted to better understand existing and future water supply challenges facing the region and to increase resilience by adopting water supply options that more fully integrate the regional systems.

Due to the current drought conditions, portions of the study addressing drought risks are being put on a fast-track schedule to determine risks of an extended 2021-2022 drought and evaluate options to reduce or manage drought risks in the region. This portion of the study is set to be finished by October 2021.

(Updated August 18, 2021) North Marin Water District is holding a second Drought Drop-by event on Saturday, August 21, 2021, from 8am-12noon at our 999 Rush Creek Place office location.   We should have a very similar Drought Tool Kit to what we had for the June 12 event.  Make sure to drop by and get your FREE Drought Tool Kit. COVID-19 safety procedures will be in place.