Marin Mulls Water Pipeline As Drought Worries Grow: Report

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin County’s largest water district is considering building an emergency pipeline to bring water import water from the Central Valley, The Marin Independent Journal reports.

The Marin Municipal Water District told the news outlet that it has hired a consulting firm pipeline to find a Central Valley water rights holder willing to sell to Marin, the report said.

The emergency pipeline would run across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge as it did in the late 1970s amid another historic dry spell, the report said.

Marin in also considering a temporary desalination plant according to the report.

The district declared a drought in mid-February and launched a public awareness campaign asking customers to conserve water by voluntarily cutting back on irrigation, not washing vehicles, and conserving water indoors.

The district in April enacted bans on washing vehicles at home, power washing homes and businesses, among others.

A restriction limiting golf courses to watering tees and greens went into effect last month.

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.

Much of the West Coast, including nearly all of California, is experiencing drought conditions.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of June 15, 94.8 percent of California is in a severe drought, 85.4 percent of the state is in an extreme drought and 33.2 percent of the state is experiencing "exceptional drought" conditions.

Read more in The Marin Independent Journal