Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods

MMWD—Vision with a few Blind Spots

“Neighborhood Speak”-------by Steve Patterson—Federation of SR Neighborhoods

Recently, the Federation of SR Neighborhoods had the General Manager of MMWD, Paul Helliker come and speak about the current thinking at MMWD regarding water supplies, the future and conservation.  What we learned was both interesting and also a bit concerning, as well.

The District has been actively been pursuing Desalinization as a possible source of nearly unlimited supply for portions of its water.  The problem with that solution is that it is very capital intensive, not environmentally friendly, requiring tremendous electric energy to run, and would be very expensive for rate payers.  Currently our water is already expensive and this option would spike those costs, dramatically.  Our group was quite skeptical of this water pursuit and there was consensus that it not a good financially viable way to create new supplies.  If anything MMWD should investigate joining with other agencies to form a Regional Desalination Project and spread out the huge potential costs to create some synergies and efficiencies.

Conservation has always been pursued by MMWD in its efforts to curb wasteful ways water is consumed.  The District financially supports the installation of low flow toilets, showerheads and efficient washing machines.  They will also do audits for property owners on how they use water in their yards and offer suggestions as to the types of landscaping that are planted.  They will advise on how to make your outdoor areas more drought tolerant and use less water.  Most of these efforts seem focused primarily on the single family home owner.

These conservation efforts have only partially pursued the total user-base and there’s a feeling that new programs should be seriously considered:

 ·         About 40% of Marin’s population are renters.  Renters typically do not pay for water, so are often completely unaware of water usage and water consumption.  And while they may live in a unit with a low flow toilets or showerheads, real conservation begins with human behavior and that requires awareness of the problem.  Most renters are just not aware and there are no well crafted programs by MMWD to assist property owners in this education process.

·         There are over 100,000 jobs in Marin and again, while commercial buildings may be retrofitted with low flow devices, the occupants and business tenants of those buildings may have little or no awareness of the importance of water conservation.  Many employees come from outside of Marin where water and water conditions are often different.  Currently there are no fully developed MMWD programs aimed at this user base.

·         Water meters in Marin are old and in some cases leak badly and waste huge amounts of water throughout the system.   There are newer more technologically advanced meters currently available that MMWD should investigate and implement on a systematic basis.

·         In the summer time, nearly 50% of water consumption is for landscape irrigation water demands.   Greater use and financial support for things like the use gray water and the use of household cisterns that would not only reduce water consumption, but lessen electricity consumption normally associated with MMWD reservoir pumping need to be made a priority.

·         Many big public/private institutional users of water often waste it, unnecessarily.  How many times have you seen massive lawn areas being watered right before a rain storm or water falling on sidewalks and running down the gutters?  MMWD does no enforcement of water wasters, letting their rates just collect more dollars.  And little is being done with the biggest consumer of all in Marin, San Quentin Prison.  With enforcement you can conserve this precious vital natural resource.

And what about finding new sources for water?  In 1992 the voters voted to build a new Russian River pipeline, but that was never built.  It may not be feasible now.  But some other supply options worth thinking about may include:

 ·         The many thousands of acres that MMWD owns on its Mt Tam watershed are among the wettest spots in California and provide some of the most pristine drinking water as the reservoirs catch this wonderful run-off water.  Why can’t another reservoir be created?  We are told that any new reservoir would create negative impacts in the streams and habitat of the Coho salmon.   Does every stream in Marin serve as salmon habitat?  Are there not some options that have no stream impact?  This source provides a near perfect-quality of drinking water.

·         What about a new pipeline from Lake Sonoma? This would tap a source that is available and could be used in tight supply situations.

·         When the Novato Narrows Highway project gets underway why not expand the current pipeline at that time in conjunction with that project as a way to share some of the cost economies?

Clearly there are some very smart people at MMWD doing rigorous analysis of the water situation, conditions and options.  But also seems that easy methods of conservation have made MMWD almost appear to have some “blind spots”.  Some of these same blind spots may extend to ways in which new supply can be generated.   It would be good if there were more openness to water solutions with less of the “our way or the highway” thinking.  If another dry year is on the way, all solutions should be on the table.

Comments or suggestions—stephenpatterson.1@comcast.net or 453-6541

                                      MMWD—Drink Up?  Or, Drink Up!
       “Neighborhood Speak”-------by Steve Patterson—Federation of SR Neighborhoods
  
Water has always been an interesting commodity in Marin County as far as supply and production issues.   The Marin Municipal Water District is charged with supplying the residents of most of Marin with water and as the major supplier, the dynamics have often been laced with politics going back to the 1970’s when there were consecutive severe droughts.  There is an elected board of directors whose job is to set policy that can enable the District to fulfill goal of providing clean and drinkable water for Marin County residents.  In winter 07-08 we experienced a dry winter and it has been predicted that we could be in store for another dry winter for 08-09.  
 
Marin County has experienced reasonably slow growth over the last 30 years, but unfortunately there has been little that has occurred to increase the supply of water.  Water rates are high and conservation has been encouraged of the rate payers.  But is there more that can be done?

The water supply/production options:

 ·         Many of the conservation efforts have been directed at single family home owners.  They have been the effort of many of the MMWD conservation programs—whether that is low-flow toilets, showerheads, irrigation systems or landscaping.   Missing in this target have been renters, who often have no awareness of their water consumption, businesses and their tenants, and the biggest consumer of all, San Quentin Prison.

·         In 1992 voters voted to have MMWD build a new pipeline to tap into Sonoma water sources, but that supply source was never followed up on and now has become a dubious source for our water needs.

·         Desalinization is now the latest focus of MMWD and preliminary work has been done to explore the feasibility of a Desal plant on the edge of SF Bay in San Rafael.  This would cost many millions of dollars and there is concern that while it would relieve the pressure on supplies, the overall cost would be exorbitant.  In addition, MMWD is already the biggest consumer of electricity in the County of Marin.  Without a more sustainable source of electricity, DeSal would also greatly spike the electricity consumption of the agency.

·         MMWD owns thousands of acres of watershed were our current pristine water reservoirs reside on and around Mt Tam.  It is a sometimes a less reliable source of water during severe droughts, but the quality of the product is extraordinary.  Many assume that somewhere in these 000’s of watershed acres that a site exists where a new reservoir can be created.  The answer to such queries is, however, always no, for environmental reasons.  In this case, maybe economics trumps even environment arguments, when it comes to new quality water sources.

 Anyway, all these issues and others will be discussed at the next Federation of SR Neighborhoods monthly meeting.    At that next meeting MMWD General Manager, Paul Helliker will be our distinguished guest.  He will address supply and production issues as they relate to water in Marin.  Join us on Wed, November 19th at the SR Corporate Center at 6:30 pm.  Space is limited.  Join us for this special event.

Have you been to this Neighborhood?

Boundaries:  Sun Valley Neighborhood is made up of 1100 homes on the west side of San Rafael from H Street to the San Anselmo border.  The crest of San Rafael Ridge defines the northern boundary, and the ridge extending from Rotary Manor to the Mount Tamalpais Cemetery provides the southern boundary.

History:  In the 1870s Herman Zopf’s Family Resort with vineyards and a wine garden was a popular spot off H and 4th Streets; the Mount Tamalpais Cemetery was established; and Robert J. Trumbull operated the Nursery Depot at H and Center Streets. The area was subdivided as the Forbes Reserve between 1882 and 1916. 

 From 1912 to 1920 the California Motion Picture Corporation produced twenty silent films at studio buildings located off Center and J Streets. The Buckley Dairy Farm operated next to the Cemetery.  

 The Sun Valley subdivision came in the 1940s; Rafael Highlands in the 1950s; Racquet Club Estates and Highland Vista in the 1960s; Grove Hill and Shannon Lane in the 1980s. In 1985 residents assessed themselves $530,000, a third of the total cost, to purchase the 92-acre Sun Valley Slope. 

Existing Conditions/Issues:  Currently two major projects, Mt. Tam Cemetery and Camgros subdivision, and a pedestrian easement are under review.   

The major unresolved issue with the Mount Tamalpais Cemetery’s 50-Year Plan is the absence of pedestrian and bike access through the cemetery to San Anselmo and Marin Open Space Trails on the ridgeline.  The Sun Valley Neighborhood Association has proposed that a committee be formed to resolve the impasse.  Most issues with the Cemetery plan have been worked out through hearings with the Design and Review Board and the Planning Commission. The plan, going before the City Council sometime in early December, would annex the cemetery and three adjacent properties to San Rafael, and permit construction of 19 new mausoleums, expansion of the existing 1,060 square foot, one-story office building to a 8,400 square foot two-story Chapel/Office building and new parking, road and landscape improvements located on the 56.8 acre site at 2500 5th Avenue. 

After meeting with neighbors, the Camgros family is revising their plan for 15 homes on 5.5 acres adjacent to Sun Valley School.

The Grove Hill Homeowners Association is opposing the development of the pedestrian easement from the pocket park on 5th Avenue to Tamal Vista Drive that is included in the Sun Valley School Travel Plan.  Since 2005 Grove Hill Homeowners have stated concerns over safety, privacy, liability, and hill stability to block development of a pedestrian easement deeded in 1985.  This path would improve pedestrian access to school for students from the West End Neighborhood and would mirror the path from Sun Valley Park to Maywood Way. For more information go to www.svnasr.org  Thanks also to George Mills who contributed this Sun Valley piece.

Comments or suggestions—stephenpatterson.1@comcast.net or 453-6541 
 

 

Library of Newspointer Neighborhood Speak Columns

Below are pdf versions of prior articles written by the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods for the Newspointer, organized by Date.

 
Nov 2007:  City of San Rafael Web site

Oct 2007:  Community Policing