TISbnr_redwoods_oaks
Corte Madera, CA                                                                                                       October 2015
The Inside Source is produced by Marin Municipal Water District to inform local decision makers and opinion leaders on issues affecting Marin's water, people, and environment.
Features
Proposed Rate Increase Announced
North Bay Earns EPA Water Award
New Blog Posts
Spread the Word

MMWD Board of Directors 

Jack Gibson
President

Cynthia Koehler
Vice President

Larry Bragman
Armando Quintero
Larry Russell

Regular meetings of the MMWD Board of Directors are held at 7:30 pm the first and third Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noticed in the District Board Room, 220 Nellen Avenue, Corte Madera. Additional meetings are scheduled as needed. All board meetings are open to the public.
(415) 945-1455

Krishna Kumar
General Manager


Join Our Mailing List!
Upcoming Public Meetings
 
Tues., Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m. 
BOARD MEETING 
Board Room
 
Tues., Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m. 
BOARD MEETING 
Board Room
 
Tues., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. 
PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON RATE INCREASE PROPOSAL  
Board Room
 
Tues., Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m. 
BOARD MEETING 
Board Room
RESERVOIR LEVELS BENEFIT FROM CONSERVATION
Reservoir storage continues to stay above average thanks to customer conservation efforts. Our sincere thanks go to all district customers for their ongoing reductions in water use.

Visit our Water Watch page for daily water use updates and our Drought Information page for drought news.

Here are the latest water statistics:
  • Reservoir Levels - As of October 15, reservoir storage is 55,177 acre-feet,* or 69% of capacity. The average for this date is 53,118 acre-feet, or 67% of capacity.   
  • Rainfall - Rainfall this year to date (July 1 - October 15, 2015) is 0.81 inches. Average for the same period is 1.97 inches; last year on this date we had 1.12 inches.
  • Water Use - Water use for the week ending October 15 averaged 23.3 million gallons per day, down from 23.9 million gallons per day for the same week last year.
*One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons
MMWD STILL MEETING STATE WATER USE TARGET
MMWD customers are still doing an excellent job conserving four months in to the nine-month state reporting period. Although the 18% conservation level achieved for the month of September was a little below the 20% target, there were several warm days last month. At 21.8%, our cumulative decrease is still above the state conservation standard of 20% for MMWD. Along with other water suppliers throughout the state, MMWD will continue to report monthly water production numbers to the state through February 2016.

Visit our Drought Information page for drought news.


Month
2013 Water Production
 (AF)*
2015/16 Water Production
 (AF)*  
Savings Achieved
(Goal: 20%)
Cumulative
 Savings
 (Goal: 20%)

June
2,836 AF
2,108 AF
26%
26%
July
2,977 AF
2,287 AF
23%
24.4%
Aug.
2,960 AF
2,369 AF
20%
22.9%
Sept.
2,742 AF
2,239 AF
18%
21.8%

*One AF, or acre-foot, is 325,851 gallons 
MMWD ISSUES PROP. 218 NOTICE REGARDING PROPOSED RATE INCREASE
Customers will soon be receiving a written mailer from the district regarding a proposed rate increase now under consideration by the MMWD Board of Directors. The board will vote on the proposal at a public hearing on December 8, 2015. The proposed new rates are based on a 2015 Draft Cost of Service Analysis (COSA), which is a detailed review of MMWD's water use and costs. Such rate structure reviews are done periodically to ensure costs are allocated accurately and fairly among all customer classes.

The main elements of the rate increase proposal include the following:
  • An increase in the fixed service charge for all customers based on meter size. The average increase in the fixed service charge for single-family residential customers is approximately $5 per month, or $10 per billing cycle.
  • The creation of a new watershed management fee for all customers based on meter size. For single-family residential customers, the fee is approximately $5 per month, or $10 per billing cycle.
  • Changes in all four tier rates for residential customers. The tier 1 rate increases by 7 cents per billing unit ($3.74 to $3.81) while the rates in tiers 2 - 4 are reduced by varying amounts depending on the customer category (single-family; multi-family; duplex). The tier allotments for single-family residential customers remain the same.
  • Changes in all three tier rates for non-residential customers (commercial, institutional, irrigation, recycled, and raw water). Some of the tiers increase, while some of the tiers decrease; the tier allotments for non-residential customers also change.
  • Other adjustments to bring all rates, fees, and charges in line with current costs.
MMWD is holding two public workshops on the proposed rate structure:Tuesday, Nov. 10 and Thursday, Dec. 3. The new rates would go into effect January 1, 2016 with an additional 4% increase effective May 1, 2016.
MMWD PART OF LOCAL GROUP RECEIVING EPA AWARD FOR WATER-SAVING EFFORTS
For the third year in a row, a partnership of North Bay water utilities, including MMWD, has received a national award for its water-saving efforts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership with a 2015 WaterSense Certifying Organization Partner of the Year award. The Partnership received WaterSense awards in both 2013 and 2014.

By promoting and rebating WaterSense labeled products, homes, and programs, WaterSense partners helped North Bay residents save 346 billion gallons of water in 2014 alone. WaterSense also has helped reduce the amount of energy needed to heat, pump, and treat water.

More than 1,700 organizations partner with WaterSense; however, only a select few are recognized for their significant program contributions. Along with MMWD, the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership includes the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Sonoma, Cotati; North Marin Water District, Valley of the Moon Water District, Town of Windsor, California American Water, and the Sonoma County Water Agency.
NEW BLOG POSTS
  • Do you have a Marin-Friendly garden that you'd be proud to share with other MMWD customers? If so, we need you! Read on to learn about how you can be a part of the 2016 Marin-Friendly Garden Tour.
  • The State of California is offering rebates to residents who replace thirsty lawns with water-saving gardens. Read on to learn more about this landscape "do over."
  • Even in a drought year, you can reduce your landscape watering in the fall thanks to shorter days and cooler nights. Read on for more information.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
We welcome your comments and need your help raising awareness about water in Marin. Please share this information with your colleagues and constituents. Thank you.
Libby Pischel, Public Information Officer
Marin Municipal Water District
lpischel@marinwater.org
(415) 945-1421