North Marin Water District To Explore Novato Supply Expansion

NOVATO, CA — The North Marin Water District will explore options for expanding local water supply in our Novato Service Area.

The district will consider options including expanding recycled water distribution, capturing stormwater runoff from nearby areas such as Bowman Canyon, and groundwater banking, in which the groundwater aquifer can be recharged during wet years and drawn from during drought years.

Local Water Supply Enhancement Study will cost $150,000, district officials said in a statement.

The study will also include increasing the capacity of our Stafford Lake reservoir by raising lake elevation by three feet.

Approximately 20 percent of Novato’s water supply comes from Stafford Lake, with imported Russian River water sourced from the Sonoma Water agency making up the rest.

Based on potential growth in Marin County in the coming decade and the prospect of longer drought periods, North Marin Water District board members and directors Mike Joly and Rick Fraites also expressed support for exploring desalination options.

North Marin Water District General Manager Drew McIntyre intends to bring back a contract for the study to the board for a vote in September.

The study would begin in October 2021 and potential options would be brought back to the board by March 2022.

On a larger scale, a regional study is currently underway and is expected to be completed by September 2022.

North Marin Water District and other retail water contractors who purchase wholesale water from Sonoma County Water Agency are funding the forward-looking study into the resilience of the regional water system.

The Regional Water Supply Resiliency Study was crafted to better understand existing and future water supply challenges facing the region and to increase resilience by adopting water supply options that more fully integrate the regional systems.

Due to the current drought conditions, portions of the study addressing drought risks are being put on a fast-track schedule to determine risks of an extended 2021-2022 drought and evaluate options to reduce or manage drought risks in the region.

This portion of the study is set to be finished by October 2021.