M a r i n M unicipal
Water D istrict
by
h e sa v es w a t er d s.
a
wa sh in g f u ll lo
O n t h e W a t e r F r o n t
An update on major district issues, projects and water conservation activities.
From the General Manager
Marin's Water Supply Future
Currently, MMWD is supplying water to our customers in an
amount that is not sustainable. While our drought response plan
calls for 10 percent rationing approximately once in ten years and 25
percent rationing in more severe drought years, we would actually have to
ration by more than 50 percent if we were to have another drought like that
of 1976-77. Drought would have a costly and dramatic impact on the community, even with the water sources we have added since the mid-1970s – Soulajule
Reservoir in West Marin and deliveries from the Russian River in Sonoma County.
2 0 0 8
customers, through a summer
ad campaign, that even simple
water-saving steps like running
full loads in the washer help
to save water.
S e p t e m b e r
/
O c t o b e r
water providers are reminding
a
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W
a
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O n t h e Wat e r F r o n t
MMWD and other Bay Area
• From the
p
N u m b e r
5
i
General Manager:
Marin's Water Supply Future
• Proposals to Protect
Mt. Tam set for
November Release
• Water Supply News
Marin's Water Supply Future
cont'd. from p. 1
2 0
• Major Pipeline Project
Vo l u m e
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In this issue:
Addresses Seismic,
Fire Concerns
• Back to School
with MMWD
• Water Tables
Marin Municipal Water District
Paul Helliker
To close this gap between supply and demand, customers would have to reduce water use in all years, reducing
10 percent immediately. Demand reductions would have to increase to 20 percent in 2025 because population growth in Novato and Petaluma will have first call on supplies from the Russian River aqueduct.
MMWD has tripled its investment in water conservation, putting the District in a leadership position in
the field. However, reducing water demand by 10 percent overnight would require a massive change
in water use behavior, a major investment in the millions of dollars in water-saving technologies, or
some combination of both. Furthermore, this change would need to be permanent.
ything
e ver s t a r t
s
w i t h w a t er
Another factor is climate change, which is predicted to make this scenario worse, leading to longer
and more severe droughts.
To address our water supply problem, we are evaluating additional water supplies, such as
desalination or importing more Russian River water. More conservation may be possible, but
it will be even more expensive and potentially less reliable.
continued on page 2, left column
to Protect Mt. Tam set for November Release
Proposals
For the last several months
The alternatives are designed
to incorporate input from
MMWD has been in the proprevious public workshops
cess of developing a new
as well as information from
Vegetation Management Plan
four major reports: Non-herfor Mt. Tamalpais and other
bicidal Weed Control Report,
watershed lands. Our goals
Herbicidal Weed Control and
are to reduce the risk of wildfire,
Risk Assessment Report,
to promote biodiversity, and to
Biodiversity Report, and Fire
control the spread of non-native French Broom (foreground, above) is
one of the major invasive species on the
Hazard Reduction Report.
weeds. The plan will direct fuel watershed. Thistle, (right) is another.
break construction and maintenance, roadside mowing, habitat restoration, and weed Following the November 12th meeting, Leonard Charles
suppression activities for a 10-15 year period. The plan and Associates will produce a draft “alternatives analydescribes “Best Management Practices,” available sis” that identifies the extent to which each alternative
tools, anticipated costs, and required resources for its meets identified goals and objectives along with estimated costs. A “preferred” alternative will be identified
implementation.
and then developed further into the proposed Vegetation
On November 12th, we will host a public workshop to dis- Management Plan, which will be presented to the MMWD
cuss several alternative management strategies, as laid Board of Directors in March 2009. For details about the
out by plan consultant Leonard Charles and Associates. Nov. 12 workshop, go to www.marinwater.org.
220 Nellen Ave. Corte Madera, C A 9 4 9 2 5 4 1 5 9 4 5 1 4 5 5
w w w. m a r i n w a t e r. o r g
Pipeline Project Addresses Seismic, Fire Concerns
MMWD is installing more than one mile of largediameter pipe on Shaver Grade Road, a fire
road on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, to
upgrade a section of a critical water
transmission line that carries water
from the San Geronimo Treatment
Plant (SGTP) in West Marin to MMWD
customers in the Ross Valley and south.
The construction work began in early
August and is scheduled for completion
in late November.
The FFMP is funded by a $75 annual fee paid
by property owners on their property tax bill over
a 15-year period. Additional funding is from MMWD’s
capital improvement budget. The FFMP was initiated by members of the com-
from the General Manager (cont from page 1)
During the next few months, the MMWD Board of
Directors will be conducting a series of hearings,
workshops, and other efforts to gather public
input on our water supply options. The District
will also be completing the desalination EIR. All
viable options will be thoroughly evaluated to
determine the best investment of ratepayer dollars. The goal is to reach a decision by the end
of 2008 and move forward with the best solution
available. To keep abreast of the latest updates
on this decision-making process, please visit our
website at www.marinwater.org.
As part of our expanded water
conservation program, MMWD is
reaching out to local schools to
help students better understand
how critical water conservation is
to sustainable living now and in the
future. To help spread our message,
MMWD is partnering with local organizations who share our vision. Last
school year, our programs provided
environmental education to more than
5,000 students, pre-K through high
school, with a special focus on water.
This year, our water education program for schools includes:
75% of the water we use is from
MMWD reservoirs
90
80
79,566
60
56,695
53,748
58,496
100% of
capacity
71% of
capacity
68% of
capacity
74 % of
capacity
Total
Capacity
This
Year
Last
Year
Average
40
30
20
10
0
Marin Municipal
Water District
Board of Directors
Teacher workshops. We are working
with The Watershed Project to present a
school garden workshop with a water-saving theme this fall. For this workshop or to
find out about any of MMWD’s school garden offerings throughout the year, contact
The Watershed Project at 510/665-3546.
Grades: Pre-K–high school.
Coming soon
“Musical Watershed” assemblies.
Sponsored by MMWD, these assemblies
will be presented by Zun Zun, a performing arts group providing environmental
education through music. The assemblies
are designed to familiarize young audiClassroom presentations "all ences with the concept of watershed and
about water." These presentations the importance of watersheds in their
focus on easy water conservation steps lives. The show will cover water conservaand why conservation is important. Call tion, water pollution, habitat, and storm
the program coordinator, Next Generation, drains. For additional information, contact
at 415/459-6398 to schedule a free pre- the MMWD Water Conservation Office at
sentation. Grades: Pre-K–high school. 415/945-1437. Grades K-6.
storage in acre-feet (one acre-foot = 325,851 gallons)
50
munity to
improve the
water distribution system’s fire-fighting capacity in strategic areas and to
strengthen the ability of critical facilities to withstand earthquakes. To date
MMWD has spent approximately $51
million installing larger diameter piping
and retrofitting tanks and treatment
plants for seismic stability, benefiting
all MMWD customers.
Back to School with MMWD
Storage
70
The existing pipeline is more than 80 years old
and does not meet current pipeline or seismic
standards. This project is the second phase
of a three-phase project to replace a large
portion of the transmission system that
delivers water from SGTP to east Marin.
Phase one was completed in 2006 and
Phase three will follow. All three projects
were identified for replacement in the
1997-98 Fire Flow Master Plan (FFMP).
As of Aug. 17, 2008
Larry Russell, President
Alex Forman, Vice President
David Behar
Jack Gibson
Cynthia Koehler
Paul Helliker, General Manager
Libby Pischel, Editor
MMWD’s Board of Directors
meets at 7:30 pm the first
and third Wednesday of every
month in the District Board
Room, 220 Nellen Avenue,
Corte Madera.
All board meetings are
open to the public.
Kiki La Porta, Design
Barb Stenson, Photos
printed on recycled paper
RAINFALL
water usage
25% of the water we use is imported from the Russian River
under a contract with the Sonoma County Water Agency
*estimated
MG = millions of gallons
1,200
55
1,100
1,000
900
Reservoirs
884 MG
Reservoirs
855 MG
800
Reservoirs
909 MG
Reservoirs
890 MG
Reservoirs
532 MG
600
500
Reservoirs
411 MG
Reservoirs
353 MG
400
Reservoirs
269 MG
Reservoirs
247 MG
0
45
This
Year
0.00"
Last
Year
0.01"
Average
0.10"
35
Reservoirs
540 MG
30
25
Reservoirs
252 MG
20
300
200
50
40
Reservoirs
816 MG
700
100
65
60
15
Russian
River
122 MG
Russian
River
216 MG
Russian
River
285 MG
Russian
River
301 MG
Russian
River
289 MG
Russian
River
250 MG
Russian
River
238 MG
Russian
River
270 MG
Sept.
2007
Oct.
2007
Nov.
2007
Dec.
2007
Jan.
2008
Feb.
2008
March
2008
April
2008
Marin Municipal Water District
Russian
River
155 MG
Russian
River
146 MG
Russian
River
150 MG
Russian
River
152 MG
May
2008
June
2008
July
2008
August*
2008
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5
July 1, 2008 to Aug. 17, 2008
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