Water District Invites Public to Learn More on Proposed Project to Replace Aging Water Distribution Facilities

The following is a news release from the Marin Municipal Water District:

The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) will host a combined Public Open House and Scoping Meeting on Monday, September 29, 2014, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Ross. The purpose of the meeting is to update the community on the proposed Water Storage Improvement Project (WSIP) and to gather public input on issues to be addressed as an initial step in the public environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The 30-day scoping period began September 8 and will continue to October 8, 2014.

The September 29 event will begin with an informal open house to allow meeting participants to view informational displays and to interact with project staff. Key team members will then provide a PowerPoint presentation covering the purpose and need for the water distribution storage improvements and an overview of the public environmental process and upcoming opportunities for public information and involvement.

MMWD has determined that the existing distribution storage capacity on the transmission line that serves the Ross Valley and San Rafael is inadequate to meet current operational and emergency needs. The district’s study found the actual operational and emergency water storage needs are double the current capacity and that the existing water storage facilities, which have been in service for nearly 100 years, are outdated and in need of replacement. The additional storage provided by this project is required to meet current water storage needs and will not provide additional water supply for future growth.

The proposed MMWD Water Storage Improvement Project (WSIP) will improve the seismic reliability of the district’s water storage facilities and ensure ongoing delivery of reliable, high quality drinking water by replacing the existing Pine Mountain Tunnel and Ross Reservoir facilities with new concrete water tanks that meet current seismic and water safety standards. The project goals encompass MMWD’s commitment to sustainability and watershed protection as well as maintaining public access to watershed lands during construction. This project will ensure the ongoing delivery of high quality water meeting all drinking water standards and is supported by the Division of Drinking Water of the State Water Resources Control Board.

Comments can be submitted throughout the scoping period by regular mail to Dain Anderson, Environmental Services Coordinator, MMWD, 220 Nellen Avenue, Corte Madera, CA 94925 or by email (wsipeir@marinwater.org).

To learn more about this proposed project and to sign up for email updates, visit marinwater.org.