Community Corner
Proposed Marin Water Pipeline Capacity Scrutinized: Report
The pipeline may only be able to deliver around 60 percent of projected capacity due to distribution issues, the report said.
MARIN COUNTY, CA — If what is already a historic drought goes on much longer, a proposed water pipeline could help Marin avert disaster, but it likely won’t be enough, The Marin Independent Journal reports.
The proposed $90 million, 8-mile pipeline that would stretch across the San Francisco Bay across the length of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge could potentially provide as much as 13.5 million gallons of water each day, according to the report.
But the pipeline may only be able to deliver 8 million gallons per day, less than 60 percent of capacity, due to distribution issues, which wouldn’t be enough to meet what the Marin Municipal Water District estimates is needed for essential indoor use, the report said.
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Marin would need around between 10,000 to 15,000 acre-feet of potable water for essential indoor uses such as basic sanitation and cooking, according to the report.
Eight million gallons translates to about 9,000 acre-feet, the report said.
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The MMWD serves central and southern Marin and provides water to around 190,000 residents.
Should the pipeline be built, the MMWD would purchase water from Central Valley sources with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (also known as East Bay MUD) acting as the middleman.
The district in April enacted bans on washing vehicles at home, power washing homes and businesses, and other restrictions followed in subsequent months.
Persistent warm, dry weather lowered Marin Water's reservoir storage capacity to 52 percent —the lowest level in nearly 40 years.
Storage levels for this time of year are typically more than 90 percent.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor's most recent reporting, the vast majority of California was in an "extreme drought" and Marin County along with most of the Bay Area is experiencing "exceptional drought" conditions.
As of Oct. 5, 23, 45.66 percent of the state including all of Marin is experiencing "exceptional drought" conditions, 87.88 percent of California is in a “extreme drought,” and 93.93 percent of the Golden State is experiencing “severe drought” conditions.
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