(Posted September 12, 2024) Construction is scheduled to begin this October on the District’s new Crest Pump Station at 555 Bahia Drive in Novato. The new pump station will replace the District’s facility currently located at the intersection of School Road and Sunset Trail. The new pump station will enhance District operations in Northeast Novato and replaces infrastructure that is beyond its useful life. In addition, the new facility will have increased pumping capacity for fire safety and reliability during emergencies.

The location of the new pump station was selected due to the following characteristics:

• The new site provides the most direct hydraulic connection between the source and target zones, lowering energy consumption.
• The new site utilizes existing infrastructure to the greatest extent possible, reducing costs.
• The new site is located on an arterial roadway, increasing access and improving safety.

The District has contracted with the local contractor, Maggiora & Ghilotti, Inc through a competitive bid process to perform the work. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2024 and be complete in the Summer 2025. Traffic impacts will comply with the City of Novato’s requirements and every effort will be taken to minimize impact on the nearby community.

Please contact CrestPumpStation@NMWD.com for more information.

(Updated October 10, 2024) Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) is currently working with North Marin Water District (NMWD) and Inverness Public Utility District (IPUD) on correcting boundary issues involving both districts.  The West Marin areas involved are located in Inverness and Marshall. The Inverness location is south of the downtown area of Inverness at Dream Farm Road off of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. The Marshall area is generally along the east shore of Tomales Bay from Grand Canyon Road to approximately ½ mile south of Clark Road. The boundary corrections involve an eventual application to LAFCo to correctly identify each parcel in those areas that will be included in this effort.

All three agencies want to make it clear that if you are currently connected to water service from either IPUD or NMWD, this application process will not impact that service, but will help correct the boundary lines on our service maps to clearly show who is serving each parcel.

As part of this process and prior to an application being submitted LAFCo, NMWD, and IPUD held a community meeting to learn more about this issue, allow customers to ask any questions they have and help all three agencies understand any concerns you may have to be addressed in the upcoming application.  The meeting was held on October 8 at 6pm at the Inverness Firehouse at 50 Inverness Way and there was unanimous consensus to move forward with the application.

Should you have any questions please contact Marin LAFCo at 415-578-2304.

(Posted September 3, 2024) The City of Novato has announced the launch of Novato Permit Connections, a new all-agency permit advice center aimed at streamlining the permit process for Novato’s homeowners and small businesses including participation from North Marin Water District.

Starting September 5, Novato Permit Connections will be available the first and third Thursday of every month from 9am to 11am at the City’s Permit Center located at 922 Machin Avenue. Offering drop-in consultations to homeowners and small business owners, this service provides an opportunity to meet with staff from the City and partner agencies all under one roof including North Marin Water District (among other agencies involved in the permit process).

(Posted 7/9/24) North Marin Water District (NMWD) recently started work to relocate two water mains in coordination with the Novato Sanitary District’s (NSD) new sewer main project on Arthur Street near Novato High School. Both NMWD and NSD are committed to minimizing impacts to our customers and have scheduled these projects to begin shortly after the school year and be wrapped up prior to the new school year. Thank you for understanding that minor delays may occur as our crews work to complete these important projects.

(Posted May 16, 2024) Thanks to funding from the Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, North Marin Water District is currently able to provide enhanced incentives for residential and commercial customers who install rain catchment systems at their properties. Through this partnership with MCSTOPPP, North Marin Water District is offering customers $0.75 per gallon of water stored with a cap of $2,000 per customer. The rebate cannot exceed system equipment and materials cost.

Apply Here: Rainwater Harvesting Rebate Application

Purchasing your rain barrel and making it functional

Many hardware stores and other retailers offer ready-made rain barrels for purchase. These are fully functional rain barrels that are then ready to connect to your roof drainage system, following best practices ( see the connection tips outlined in the next section below).

For those wishing to take a more DIY approach, which typically involves converting a plastic drum or other storage container into a functional rain barrel, many retailers offer easy-to-install kits. Rain barrel diverter system “kits” come with all of the parts and instructions necessary to create a functioning rain barrel. These kits can often be purchased online too. The following short list links to various commercial retailers that provide kits and how-to resources.

Connecting your system to your roof drainage system and putting it to use

Once you’ve selected your preferred rainwater catchment system, connecting it to your roof drainage system and putting it to use can be a breeze using best practices for these water-saving systems!

Some tips to get you started

• Choose a downspout on your house or garage that is close to the plants and garden you water most.
• Choose a downspout where your rain barrel’s overflow will soak into your own yard, and not your neighbors’ property.
• To direct water into your rain barrel, downspouts can be sawed and modified with an elbow or a downspout diverter kit can be installed.
• Barrels can be used by opening lids (if removable) and dipping watering cans in, or a spigot can be installed near the bottom to attach hoses and fill watering cans.
• Consider placing your rain barrels on concrete blocks to help with pressure if you’re going to use a hose directly from the barrels to water your garden, as gravity will help move the water. It also raises the barrels to make spigot access easier for filling watering cans. Please do not install pumps in your catchment systems as this may lead to the requirement of a backflow prevention device at the water meter.
• Make sure rain barrels have an overflow pipe or downspout diverter to direct excess water away from your home when they’re full.
• All openings should be screened with 1/16” mesh to keep-out mosquitos and other debris.
• “Nonpotable Rainwater, Do Not Drink” signage is required by CA Plumbing code.

Tools needed for installation

Once you’ve decided the best system setup for your site, determine what tools and materials are needed to get the job done. Many systems provide the parts and tools needed for installation. These might include:

• Hacksaw
• Electric or cordless drill with hole saw and bits (various sizes)
• Caulking gun
• Hose bibb
• Overflow pipe
• 1/16″ mesh for screening holes
• Silicone sealer or similar adhesive

Reminders

• Keep your rain barrel secured tightly to prevent children or animals from entering or falling in.
• Do not drink water from your rain barrel. Harvested rainwater should be used for irrigation purposes only.
• Regularly check rain barrel screens to remove accumulated debris.

This is a cooperative program with Marin Water and the Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program. For information on Marin Water’s rebate of if you are a customer of Marin Water, Click here for more information: https://www.marinwater.org/CatchTheRain