MMWD Customers Help Celebrate 100 Years

MMWD’s May 5 centennial open house

About 150 MMWD customers attended an open house on a beautiful spring day in the district’s Corte Madera corporation yard. MMWD hosted the May 5 event in celebration of the district’s 100th anniversary and as a thank-you to our customers.

Open house guests perused historical photos and tools, watched leak-detection demonstrations, checked out a watershed ranger truck and fire truck, got their water conservation questions answered, and toured MMWD’s Operations Center and Water Quality Lab. The open house also featured a watershed coloring contest for kids—who produced some amazing artwork—as well as free giveaways and refreshments. See more photos of the open house on our Facebook page. Thanks to all who attended!

Kids’ watershed artwork on display

MMWD received its charter on April 25, 1912, making it California’s first municipal water district. The district is also celebrating its centennial with monthly guided naturalist hikes on the watershed, special species monitoring and trail and habitat restoration programs, the publication of a pictorial MMWD history book by Director Jack Gibson, and other special events throughout the year. Visit our centennial webpage to see what’s coming up.

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Help Us Celebrate 100 Years at MMWD Open House May 5!

The Marin Municipal Water District is hosting an open house this Saturday, May 5, in celebration of the district’s 100th anniversary and to say “Thank you!” to our customers. Please join us for refreshments, giveaways, kids’ activities, historical displays, demonstrations and guided tours of MMWD’s water quality lab and operations center. The free, family-friendly event will be 10:00 a.m. to noon at the district’s corporation yard at 220 Tamal Vista Boulevard in Corte Madera.

MMWD received its charter on April 25, 1912, making it California’s first municipal water district. Before that, water in central and southern Marin was provided by a number of small, private companies, many of them subsidiaries of real estate developers. To ensure a reliable water supply, the citizens of Marin came together to create a publicly owned and managed water system. In the process, they also lay the foundation for the perpetual protection of the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed—today a primary source of drinking water for 185,000 Marin residents.

The district is also celebrating its centennial with monthly guided naturalist hikes on the watershed, special species monitoring and trail and habitat restoration programs, the publication of a pictorial MMWD history book by Director Jack Gibson, and other special events throughout the year. Visit the centennial page on our website to see what’s coming up.

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Customer Conservation Success Story: 40 Years and Still Flowing Strong

Marin Center turned 40 this year, but being “middle-aged” hasn’t stopped the arts and events venue from keeping up with the latest water-efficiency trends and technologies.

The Marin County Fairgrounds are irrigated with recycled water from MMWD’s Las Gallinas Valley Recycling Plant, saving potable water. Three smart controllers monitor current weather conditions and automatically adjust the irrigation schedule so the landscaping gets just what it needs. In addition, staff keep the irrigation system in good working order and employ water-wise landscaping techniques such as sheet mulching.

Marin Center is saving water indoors, too. The restrooms at Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium and Lagoon Park use recycled water for toilet flushing. And Marin Center has even gone water-free with 23 waterless urinals, saving up to 920,000 gallons per year.

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Customer Conservation Success Story: Tier 4 Exemption Means Lower Rates

MMWD customer Edward DeMayo was looking for ways to reduce his water use and his water bill. For this orthopedic surgeon, MMWD’s Tier 4 Exemption Program proved to be just what the doctor ordered.

To qualify for the Tier 4 Exemption, homeowners complete a checklist of water-efficiency improvements, such as replacing thirsty landscaping with water-wise plantings and installing low-water-use fixtures. Once the fixes are verified through a site visit, the property becomes exempt from Tier 4 water rates, ensuring that water is billed at no higher than Tier 3. The exemption lasts two years and can be renewed through another site visit.

Ironically, after completing the checklist Dr. DeMayo found the exemption was no longer needed—the upgrades alone were enough to bring the household water use below Tier 4! In fact, from 2008 to 2010 the DeMayos slashed their water consumption nearly in half.

To learn more about the Tier 4 Exemption Program, visit our website or contact the Water Conservation Department at (415) 945-1520.

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Even More Mt. Tamalpais Memories

by Janet Klein

Recently we have been blogging some favorite Mt. Tamalpais memories, shared by community members who attended our first workshop on the future of the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed. Read more and share your own memories below. Then join us November 15 for our second workshop to help chart a course for this invaluable community asset.

My grandfather’s passing was the first time in my adult life that I lost someone very close to me. For the weeks after his death I would make my way to a knoll above 6 Points and reflect on his life and our relationship with Mt. Tam in the background. It brought closure and serenity.

Fishing at the lakes when I was a kid. I would light a small fire and cook a hamburger with my coffee-can griddle at the lakeshore.

Taking our young children on a hike around Lake Lagunitas or Bon Tempe.

As a hike leader I try to include moments of beauty which are pointed out to hikers. They are often received in awe by visitors new to the area. They are amazed at the beauty so close to an urban area.

It is hard to think of just one moment. Every moment away from my computer is a present, especially when I am in nature—Mt. Tam—my backyard.

Doing trail work with MMWD.

Watching students release fish they raised in a classroom aquarium—Trout in the Classroom.

Taking my City College of San Francisco ecology lab class to look at some effects of Sudden Oak Death. Seeing students, many of whom had never been to Mt. Tam, appreciate the area and experience and see the topics we talk about in class. They liked it so much they stayed two hours late to finish the project.

Seeing my first pileated woodpecker when I first moved here from Washington State.

Seeing a coyote on 5 Point Trail on the first day I moved to Fairfax.

Saw some super rad white mushrooms growing out of redwood litter. They were really neat looking. I felt like was in the Northwest, not in central CA.

Introducing new people to the trails and vistas.

Biking up Railroad Grade for the first time and admiring the views!

Running and hiking trails for most of adult life.

As a kid hiking to Phoenix Lake regularly with my brother and feeling the freedom and adventure that went along with it. Being part of something wild brought peace and perspective to me as a teen in the 1970s.

One summer, many years ago: pedaling through the thick fog, climbing the last rocky section of Eldridge Grade, out into the blazing sun of East Peak of Mt. Tamalpais, now a small island protruding through the sea of gray drizzle below. A day forever etched into my memory.

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More Mt. Tamalpais Memories

by Janet Klein

A couple of weeks ago we posted some favorite Mt. Tamalpais memories, shared by community members who attended our September 22 workshop on the future of the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed. Here are more amazing Mt. Tam memories from that meeting. Please share your own in the comments section below.

Riding my bike all day on a summer solstice and watching the sun set over the ocean while the full moon was rising over the bay. I was riding up Railroad Grade.

Photographing foothill yellow-legged frogs at Carson Falls.

Taking each of my one-week-old newborn daughters on their first hikes on Tucker Trail. They loved it.

My 11-year-old child came home from pulling French broom on a school field trip to the watershed—and insisted we go out our back door and pull more French broom behind our house. He didn’t want to stop!!

I have limited experience in the watershed, having recently moved to the area. However, I regularly ride on the trails, typically early in the morning. I would be at a loss if I hadn’t experienced a family of deer walking alongside me on Eldridge Grade. The watershed is a truly magical area.

Enjoying spring wildflowers on display.

Being quiet in natural habitat.

On Saturday morning in the spring, I counted over 150 fire-belly newts on the Kent Trail.

Watching a young bobcat makes its way up a downed log, down the valley and through the grass.

In 1968 I came to Marin as a homeless Vietnam vet and my first full time job was fire lookout on Mt. Tam. I remember a night with the still fog at the doorstop and a full moon overhead. I realized just how special this place is, and vowed never to live outside the slopes of Mt. Tam.

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Is Your Toilet Running Up Your Water Bill?

by Elena Freeman

Leaking toilets cause more water waste than any other fixture in the home. Even a silent toilet leak can waste from 30 to 500 gallons of water per day! The ones you do hear can waste even more.

As an MMWD Water Conservation Specialist, I regularly perform water-use efficiency surveys for customers through our Conservation Assistance Program. Last month I assisted a customer at a home in San Rafael who was very concerned about some increasingly high water bills. The property included a pool and hot tub, and every inch of the 1/3 acre property was irrigated. Even so, their average water use of 1,260 gallons per day seemed high for two people. The homeowner suspected the irrigation system had leaks. In the past rodents had chewed the irrigation lines.

We made sure all the water-using fixtures in the house and the irrigation system were turned off, and then I checked the water meter. It showed constant movement at a rate of over 450 gallons per day! It turned out there were two silently leaking toilets. The homeowner was relieved to find out there was something that could be fixed to stop the high bills and the waste. 

Many toilets only run at night. That’s because most people are asleep at night and much less water is used during these hours, with a result that the water pressure in the supply system can rise considerably during this time. The rise in pressure can cause “water creep” inside your gravity-fed toilet tank by 1/2 inch or more. That is why toilet manufacturers normally suggest setting the water level at approximately one inch below the top of the overflow tube.

When was the last time you checked your toilets for leaks and water level adjustment?  It’s not hard to do. MMWD has an easy step-by-step guide to help you check your toilets for leaks and check the flow rates of all your indoor plumbing fixtures to make sure your house is water efficient. You can find the Do-It-Yourself Home Water Survey on our website.

The Do-It-Yourself kit is also now available at the MMWD customer service lobby for customers without internet access. Visit us at 220 Nellen Avenue in Corte Madera to pick up your copy. Toilet dye tablets for testing toilets are also available there.

If you would prefer to have one of our water conservation experts perform a survey for you, call us at 945-1523 to schedule a free appointment.

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Mt. Tamalpais Memories

by Janet Klein

At our recent community workshop on the future of the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, we asked those in attendance to share their favorite Mt. Tamalpais memories. Here is what just a few of them wrote.

Do you have your own favorite Mt. Tam memories? Share them in the comments section below.

Running on the Taylor Trail in a rainstorm between the redwoods and madrones.

Watching a pileated woodpecker teach its offspring to peck bark and extract insects.

Riding my horse up from $2 hill (Horse Hill) and as night fell, watching the moon rise over Richmond. It was summer 1966, in cut-offs, bareback with no helmet, my friends and I singing at the top of our lungs.

Bringing my daughters to the giant madrone (now fallen) behind Pilot Knob and watching them climb the lower limbs.

Seeing the sun rise through the dark trees on the lake.

The day I rode my mountain bike all the way from Fairfax to Muir Beach. Along the way, I saw a river otter in Lake Lagunitas—the first river otter I’d ever seen! That night I slept at West Point Inn. It was a great weekend on Mt. Tam!

Counting newts with my stepson and his dad hiking up Collier (we counted 38!).

A glimpse of a mountain lion on upper Rocky Ridge Fire Road.

The calypso orchids at Rifle Camp.

Taking my gentleman-friend from L.A. on a hike up to Pilot Knob. When we got to the top, huffing and puffing, he asked, “Is this a test?” Well, yes. He won my heart.

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Customer Conservation Success Story: Piloting Ozone Technology

by Keith Bancroft

When it comes to laundry, Best Western Corte Madera Inn is on the cutting edge. The Marin County Green Business is part of a pilot program with MMWD to evaluate the water-saving effectiveness of ozone laundry systems.

Ozone molecule

Ozone, a form of oxygen found naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere, is one of the most effective cleaning agents—better than chlorine and other commonly used disinfectants. Ozone removes electrons from the soils, breaking down the molecules so that they are released from the linens. Because it works best in cold water, ozone saves energy as well as reducing detergent, chemical and overall water use.

Ozone systems can benefit businesses such as hotels and gyms with large commercial laundry facilities. A 2009 study found that ozone laundry systems in hotels saved over 4,000 gallons of water per year per room, reduced the amount of hot water used for laundry by 98 percent, and cut annual utility bills by an average of $13,000.

MMWD is working with the county to expand the ozone laundry pilot program to Marin County Jail. Initial estimates are for annual water savings of over 400,000 gallons.

Although MMWD rebate programs are temporarily suspended, rebates for ozone laundry systems are available from PG&E for hotels /motels with fewer than 250 guest rooms and for fitness and recreational sports centers. The ozone laundry system(s) must be a newly purchased product and added on to a new or existing commercial washing machine(s). Learn more about the water-, energy- and money-saving benefits of ozone here.

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Get Water Updates on Twitter

Now there’s another way to stay up-to-date with news about your water supply: Let us “tweet” you! MMWD has launched a Twitter account to provide customers with quick, easy access to information including:

• construction updates and road/trail closures
• conservation events, news and tips
• weekly watering guidelines
• volunteer opportunities on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed
• rainfall totals and reservoir storage
• updates on water supply planning and projects

MMWD is embracing social media tools like Twitter to make it easier for customers to connect with the district, find information and provide feedback. In addition to our “Think Blue Marin” blog and new Twitter page, you can find MMWD online at Facebook and YouTube.

So follow us on Twitter @thinkbluemarin and let us know what you think!

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