Initiative process starts to get a Marin vote on desalination
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 16, 2010 at 7:51 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“An initiative to require a vote before the Marin Municipal Water District moves forward with desalination plans could come before voters in November if enough signatures are gathered by June.
A group of residents led by Bill Rothman of Belvedere plans to gather about 11,000 signatures – the required 10 percent of registered voters inside the water district’s boundaries – by June to get “The Marin Responsible Water Policy Ballot Initiative” before voters.
The initiative will ask if residents want to require the district to ask voters for permission before it proceeds with plans to implement desalination, a process in which bay water is cleaned and used for drinking water.
“It will give the voters the right to vote before the water district undertakes the expenses and the process of desalination,” Rothman said. “It would mean if they want to move forward with desalination they would have to put it before the voters.”
Rothman began gathering signatures this week. … “
More from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Toxic dangers of desalination
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 25, 2009 at 6:43 amFrom IndyBay.org:
“In an interview with Radio H20, former Senior Public Health Medical Officer for CalOSHA Dr. Larry Rose enumerates the threats to public health posed by the Marin Municipal Water District’s proposed $100 million desalination plant.”
Listen to the interview (about 15 minutes long):
Lawsuit filed against Marin water district to halt desalination plans
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 22, 2009 at 7:36 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
“Opponents of a Marin Municipal Water District plan to desalinate bay water and pipe it to Marin homes filed a lawsuit Monday in an effort to stop the project from proceeding.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to halt progress on the proposed desalination project and “protect the San Francisco Bay and the citizens of Marin from the harmful effects” of desalination, according to the suit filed in Marin Superior Court by San Anselmo Councilman Ford Greene, an environmental group and several other plaintiffs.
The suit alleges the proposed $105 million desalination plant would induce population growth of up to an additional 85,000 people in Marin, discharge up to 30 million gallons of harmful brine into San Rafael Bay, increase energy consumption by the water district by up to four times and expose the public to potential contamination.
It alleges the environmental impact report on the project is flawed and asks the court to halt any work toward desalination, which the water district has described as a “drought proof” source of water. …”
Read more from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Marin Voice: Desalination is not the solution
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 5, 2009 at 7:04 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal, this commentary by Ford Greene, member of the San Anselmo Town Council, and Lawrence Bragman, a Fairfax Town Council member.:
“The Marin Municipal Water District board’s approval of the environmental report clears the way for construction of a 15 million gallon-per-day desalination plant just north of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, close to the Marin Rod and Gun Club.
Comprehensive examination of desalination’s impact on our way of life is overdue. Consciously choosing the best solution is imperative.
MMWD claims desalination can purify bay water, which is laden with pharmaceuticals, pesticides and chemicals, including 11 million gallons of treated sewage that the Central Marin Sanitary Agency dumps daily into the bay, not far from the Rod and Gun Club pier and the intended location of the desalination intake pipe.
We live in a water-limited place. MMWD’s decision disregards the financial, environmental and health costs of desalination. …”
Read more of this commentary by clicking here.
Moving ahead with desalination was the right step, says editorial
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 25, 2009 at 6:24 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
“It is ironic to hear people criticizing the Marin Municipal Water District for “rushing” toward building a desalination plant. District leaders have been weighing the costs and benefits of desalination for many years. In 2002, the board voted 3-2 to start exploring a desalination plant as part of its strategy to meet MMWD’s long-term water needs.
Another irony is that the majority in that vote were the directors with the closest ties to Marin’s environmental community. One them was Jared Huffman, now our assemblyman. He pushed desalination as the district’s only viable source for new water.
Since that vote, there have been studies, tests, endless hours of debate and much hemming and hawing by district leaders. In 2005, a $1.2 million pilot plant was built near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The plant demonstrated that the district could turn bay water into clean, drinkable water.
Last week, MMWD’s board voted 4-0 to take another step toward building a desalination plant. The vote not only was an important milestone, it was the right thing to do. The board also showed political courage in the face of vocal opposition when it voted to accept an environmental impact report on the proposed plant. …”
Read more from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Commentary: Desalination may be coming to Marin – finally
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 23, 2009 at 8:13 amFrom the Marin Indpendent Journal, this commentary by Richard Rubin:
“After years of painstaking study, political foot-dragging, a successful demonstration project, and bitter criticism from a small but highly vocal cadre of organized opponents, the Marin Municipal Water District did Wednesday what it needed to do and adopted a scaled down plan to press forward with desalination.
The vote was unanimous, but not without last-minute maneuvering by one wavering board member, Cynthia Kohler, to remove the item from the agenda on the grounds that action should not be taken until a fifth vacancy on the panel was filled.
Many in the overflow crowd sporting “conservation not desalination” buttons applauded the move. But it was brushed aside by veteran member, Jack Gibson, who argued they had full legal authority and the necessary representation to press forward.
Even ardent conservation proponent, Larry Russell, acknowledged it might take months for a new member to get up to speed.
Desalination is only one of a menu of supply-balancing and cost-conscious recommendations MMWD is pushing to compensate for a chronic water shortage that practically guarantees the adoption of water rationing, rate hikes and other unpopular emergency measures used in previous droughts. …”
Read more of this commentary from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Marin Municipal Water District approves desalination plan; could be ready by 2014
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 20, 2009 at 8:20 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
“The Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors voted 4-0 Wednesday night to move forward with a controversial desalination project over the objections of dozens of speakers who called for the agency to solve its supply issues through conservation.
The vote doesn’t mean the plant is a done deal. It will be a year or two before the district will begin the process to build a plant and there still will be time for more deliberation on the issue, according to water officials.
A 5 million gallon-per-day facility, expandable to 15 million gallons-per-day, was the option selected by the board. The desalination plan also includes a conservation component.
The decision did not sit well with many who came out to voice opposition to the plan to pump cleaned bay water to taps. “It’s an outrage you would be talking of drawing water from this toxic mess,” said resident Dr. Larry Rose, who spoke at the sometimes heated hearing at the Showcase Theater at the Marin Civic Center. …”
More from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Most speakers at the at-times boisterous meeting attended by about 200 people opposed the desalination facility on the grounds that it is too costly, would harm marine life and could expose people to harmful bay chemicals. What’s more, they say, the steep energy needs of the plant will pump huge amounts of climate-changing gases into the atmosphere.
“When you look at the bigger picture, it makes no sense,” said Mark Schlosberg of Food Water Watch, an environmental advocacy group.
But the district and others say desalination is the best way to satisfy projected population and economic growth. “We’re concerned about bringing supply and demand into balance,” Hal Brown, president of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, said during the meeting’s public comment portion. …”
Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Key Marin County hearing on desalination
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 19, 2009 at 6:27 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“The largest water agency in Marin County is set to become the first in the region to dip a drinking straw into San Francisco Bay. If the $105 million project to de-salt about 5 million gallons of bay water each day is approved this evening as expected, about 190,000 residents could begin imbibing water from the sea by 2014.
Though the system has drawn fierce criticism over potentially high costs, energy consumption and impacts on marine life, the Marin Municipal Water District’s desalination gambit marks the first of many across the Bay Area and the state.
Up and down the coast, about 20 similar projects are in the works, including a joint test project by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Contra Costa Water District and others. …”
The Marin Municipal Water District board will decide tonight whether to approve the desalination plant. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Desalination part of solution for Marin County, says commentary; MMWD meeting moved to larger venue
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 18, 2009 at 7:54 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal, this commentary by Margy Eller, president of The League of Women Voters of Marin County:
“THE LEAGUE of Women Voters of Marin County has followed closely the activities of the Marin Municipal Water District. Two league members served on the MMWD board, others have served on citizen advisory committees on the issues of water supply and price, and we have monitored the district board meetings for 20 years as a matter of routine.
The league carefully follows the process that governments use to develop policies and make decisions.
Having watched the MMWD board and staff work for years to plan for future needs, we believe that the process has been excellent, with a wealth of information and numerous special events to keep the public aware of the issues and options. This open and inclusive process has been indispensable to us in understanding the complex issues and the choices available to the board.
We have observed the development of the district’s planning on the issues of future water demand, supply and price. We agree with the staff’s conclusions on a number of points. …”
Read more Margy’s commentary by clicking here.
Also from the Marin Independent Journal:
The Marin Municipal Water District board will tackle the controversial proposed desalination project in a meeting set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Showcase Theater of the Marin Center Exhibit Hall at 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael.
Officials moved the meeting from San Rafael City Hall to the theater in order to accommodate what’s expected to be a large crowd, as the board considers whether to continue to pursue desalination as an option for Marin’s future water supply.
More on this from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Marin desalination hearing set for Aug. 19
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 5, 2009 at 7:36 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“The Marin Municipal Water District has set an August date to make another decision on the controversial topic of desalination, the process that converts raw bay water into drinking water by removing salt and other impurities.
At the 7:30 p.m., Aug. 19 meeting at the San Rafael City Hall Chambers, the water district board is expected to decide whether to keep pursuing desalination as an option for Marin’s future water supply. The board will be considering selection and approval of a water supply project from among alternatives analyzed in the desalination project’s environmental impact report.
The alternatives include:
- A 5-million-gallon-per-day facility
- A 5-million-gallon-per-day facility, expandable to 15-million-gallons-per-day
- A 10-million-gallon-per-day facility, expandable to 15-million-gallons-per-day
- Additional water from the Russian River
- Reliance solely on water conservationThe 5-million-gallon-per-day facility, expandable to 15-million-gallons-per-day is the preferred alternative. All desalination plans also include a conservation component. …”
Read more from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Marin Municipal Water District poll: Marin residents want desalination
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 9, 2009 at 7:10 amFrom Contra Costa Times:
A poll released Thursday shows 58 percent of Marin residents generally support desalination, the controversial plan to take water from the bay and use it for drinking water in the county. That number jumped to 68 percent when participants were provided with more information about the plan, according to the poll, conducted by Oakland-based EMC Research Inc.
The Marin Municipal Water District funded the $20,000 poll in a effort gauge where the public stands on water issues as it begins to debate the county’s water future. The telephone survey of 401 registered voters was conducted between June 14 to 17 and has 4.9 percent margin of error.
The poll also showed 79 percent of people ranked long-term water supply as a top concern over traffic – 74 percent – and jobs, 65 percent. Another 77 percent said the district needed to find a new sources of water to solve long term water supply issues. Only 11 percent believed conservation was the sole solution.
“Take it for what it is. It’s information,” said water board member Larry Russell.
Read more from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Marin Municipal Water District board accepts desalination report, but not all its findings
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 26, 2009 at 6:09 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
The Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors agreed with assertions of a new report that said conservation is important, but didn’t fully embrace the notion that it would be enough to satisfy Marin’s future water needs. Board members responded to the report Wednesday in front of an overflow crowd at its headquarters in Corte Madera.
The report, “Sustaining Our Water Future,” was issued earlier this month by the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit consumer organization Food & Water Watch. The report concludes that the district doesn’t need to build a desalination plant and could instead employ conservation measures, curb leaks and improve reservoir operations to meet future water needs.
“You did a super job to all our benefit,” board member Jack Gibson told the report’s author, James Fryer, a former water district conservation program manager.
Read more from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Marin water report: Real solutions or false promises?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 15, 2009 at 7:04 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal, this commentary by Richard Rubin:
JUST AS the MMWD shows promise of firmly grappling with the county’s murky water future, up pops a report misnamed, “Sustaining our Water Future,” whose principal aim is to debunk desalination in favor of conservation-only solutions.
The authors are a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, few have ever heard of, known as the Food & Water Watch. It turns out this is a Ralph Nader-spinoff funded specifically to preach the virtues of conservation as the sole means of ensuring water supply and has targeted places such as Marin which are flirting with desalination.
The problem is not merely the disinformation, misconceptions and inadequate cost/benefits analysis, but its ability to fuel the flames of those who have almost a visceral reaction at the mere mention of the word desalination. Hopefully it is but a momentary distraction for a water board sometimes swept under by the currents of questionable public opposition.
Let’s try to dispose of several of the report’s very radical solutions: It is suggested that landscape watering be scaled back 40 percent. The district has already set an ambitious goal to curtail overall water use by an additional 10 percent to 15 percent – and this in a county which has adopted very aggressive conservation measures over many years.
What the report fails to point out are the costs of achieving such self-imposed rationing through recommended rain water catchments and more cisterns, which on a dollars-per-gallon basis would be three times the cost of desalination, according to district General Manager, Paul Helliker.
Read more of Richard’s commentary by clicking here.
Report: Marin’s desalination plant is not needed
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 6, 2009 at 6:06 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
The Marin Municipal Water District doesn’t need to build a desalination plant and could employ conservation measures, curb leaks and improve reservoir operations to meet future water needs, according to a new report. The report, “Sustaining Our Water Future,” was issued Wednesday by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit consumer organization Food & Water Watch. It was written by James Fryer, a former water district conservation program manager.
In February, the MMWD Board of Directors directed its staff to keep open the possibility of a controversial 5-million-gallon-a-day desalination plant as part of a package of steps to address the county’s future water needs. But a final decision on desalination won’t come until 2011.
The new report suggests the water district has overestimated the expected water shortfall because it based it on high-use years, not demand in a normal year. By replacing inefficient fixtures, improving landscape irrigation, plugging system leaks and enhancing reservoir operations, Marin could have a reliable water supply without desalination, according to the report.
“The report illustrates what is the most cost-efficient and beneficial way for ratepayers to maintain water supply,” said Adam Scow, of Food & Water Watch, which opposes desalination in general. “People want conservation, they don’t want desalination and they are willing to take steps.”
Read more from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here. You can read the press release from Food & Water Watch by clicking here.
Marin desalination plant unnecessary finds Food & Water Watch report
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 5, 2009 at 5:49 amFrom Food & Water Watch, this press release:
A package of smart water solutions that includes improving landscape irrigation, decreasing system leaks, and enhancing reservoir operation can meet Marin’s future water needs at a much lower cost than the proposed desalination facility finds a new report released today by the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch. The report, Sustaining Our Water Future: A Review of the Marin Municipal Water District’s Alternatives to Improve Water Supply Reliability, is authored by James Fryer, who served as coordinator of the Marin Municipal Water District’s (MMWD) water conservation program from 1990 to 1999.
Based on a thorough review and analysis of MMWD and water industry documents and records, interviews of MMWD staff and other water experts, this report recommends a package of solutions that would provide approximately 7,950 acre feet of water per year for the district, more than double the projected 3400 acre feet of water MMWD’s plan states it can obtain from conservation.
Alternatively, the desalination plant would carry significant costs for consumers and the environment. In addition to a price tag of over $100 million for construction, the facility would cost millions more to operate, which would mean significant rate increases for consumers. Further, the plant would increase energy use, potentially doubling the district’s carbon footprint and could further degrade the San Francisco Bay. Moreover, desalination is not favored by Marin residents according to public opinion surveys outlined in the report.
Read more from Food & Water Watch by clicking here.
Rate increase not linked to desal, water district says
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 17, 2009 at 8:02 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
Marin water officials have indefinitely postponed key decisions about a controversial desalination plan amid growing opposition.
Also driving the delay is concern among water officials that a new proposal for water rate hikes is causing the public to mistakenly link the increase with the proposed $105 million desal project. “The rate increase has nothing to do with desalination,” said Cynthia Koehler, a Marin Municipal Water District board member. “The rate increase has to do with the district remaining solvent.”
Last month the board directed its staff to pursue a controversial 5 million-gallon-a-day desalination plant as part of a package of steps to address the county’s water needs.
At a meeting Wednesday the board was to give formal approval to an environmental impact report on desalination and consider securing permits for various facilities to be able to operate a plant. But the item was put off until the March 18 meeting. Now, district officials say it will not appear at that meeting either, and no new date to consider the item has been set.
Read more from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Is Marin headed for a water-supply train wreck?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 8, 2009 at 7:33 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal, this column by Dick Spotswood:
SINCE THE LEGENDARY drought of 1976-77, most Marinites came to understand that our county is desperately in need of alternative water supplies. For 32 years, water professionals have reiterated that another major drought is inevitable. During all this time, Marin has done little but talk.
Now, the next great drought is imminent. It’s too late to do anything about this looming crisis, but there remains one opportunity to prevent future fiascos: Desalination of bay water.
Last Wednesday night, the Marin Municipal Water District board unanimously certified the environmental impact report for a proposed desal plant at Point San Quentin. Desal opponents unsuccessfully attempted to delay EIR approval, hoping that time eventually will spike the concept. The move was a bold step, enabling water commissioners to move forward, creating a reliable back-up water supply.
Since the last Big Dry, local leaders worked to devise alternatives. Eventually, three approaches developed.
One faction contended that adopting ever more stringent water conservation measures will adequately address the issue. The quandary is that in recent decades both the MMWD and the North Marin Water District have fashioned model conservation programs, drastically slashing local water consumption. More can and should be done, but crunch the numbers and it’s clear that even optimal conservation efforts are not enough to prevent drastic rationing during a drought.
Read more of this column in the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Marin Muncipal Water District’s desal plan
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 7, 2009 at 6:07 amFrom the Point Reyes Light:
The gap between supply and demand for customers of the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) is expected to double in the next 15 years. In order to meet the needs of nearly 200,000 people, the district is considering desalinating water from the San Francisco Bay, an expensive but reliable alternative to increasing its supply from the Russian River.
“MMWD would not have adequate water supply to meet the needs of people and the environment during a sustained drought,” said MMWD General Manager Paul Helliker. “Even with the additional supplies developed and this mandatory ration, MMWD reservoirs would run out of water in the second year of a severe drought.”
The staff thinks desalination is a viable supplemental water supply especially in drought and emergency conditions, while others think the monetary and energy costs of a desalination plant may outweigh the benefits. The final environmental impact report for the desalination project was unanimously certified by the MMWD Board of Directors during a meeting on Wednesday.
MMWD, which serves south and central Marin County including the San Geronimo Valley, is also considering reservoir improvements, increased water recycling and conservation and additional Russian River supplies. The desalination plant could cost three times as much as the other alternatives and would take at least three to five years to implement.
Find out more about what’s in Marin Municipal Water District’s desalination plan from the Point Reyes Light by clicking here.
Marin Municipal Water District approves desalination EIR; “It would be irresponsible not to seek out conservation, but I don’t think the people of Marin want their lawns going brown. They want an adequate water supply.”
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2009 at 6:10 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
The Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors unanimously approved a final environmental report Wednesday night for a plan to take water from San Rafael Bay, remove the salt and send it to Marin residents. The vote doesn’t mean the board will now move ahead with building a desalination plant, but the decision does keep that option open as the district’s directors weigh Marin’s future water supply.
About 175 people crammed into the San Rafael City Council Chambers to voice their opinion on desalination and the environmental impact report. Of the roughly 50 speakers, opposition to desalination ran 4 to 1, with most voicing support for more conservation.
“The case for desalination is weak,” said Adam Scow with Food & Water Watch – a nonprofit consumer organization. “Conservation is the answer and desalination undermines conservation.” He and others voiced concern over the use of electricity to power a desalination plant which they say would increase the county’s carbon footprint and contribute to global warming.
But Steven Smith of Corte Madera said the water district needs to do what it can to keep water flowing. “It would be irresponsible not to seek out conservation,” he said. “But I don’t think the people of Marin want their lawns going brown. They want an adequate water supply.”
Read more from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
This is wrong time for Marin to give up on desalination, says editorial
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 4, 2009 at 7:41 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal, this editorial:
The Marin Municipal Water District board is under pressure to delay approval of the environmental report on its proposed desalination plant.
A coalition that includes several local conservation groups has surfaced at the last minute in a bid to derail the district’s long-studied desalination plan. Opponents say the district can solve its water-supply dilemma through more aggressive conservation.
We believe that would be a risky strategy.
This is not the time to be casting aside water-generating tools. Marin and California face a serious and prolonged drought. Severe water rationing is on the way. Although costly at an estimated $105 million, desalination is an option Marin may desperately need – and soon.
Voting to certify the desalination report at tonight’s public hearing is a far cry from approving construction of a plant. It is a legal step that amounts to certifying that an independent study and public process was completed.
The water district that serves Central and Southern Marin has spent more than five years studying desalination and more than two years working on the EIR. That study included spending more than $1 million on building and running a pilot desalination plant that turned bay water into drinking water. The plant tested water quality issues and possible environmental impacts.
At a time when President Barack Obama will be looking for “shovel ready” public works projects as part of his economic stimulus plan, the district would be foolish to pull the plug on this project.
Read more of this editorial from the Marin Indpendent Journal by clicking here.
Report details how Marin desalination plan would operate
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 22, 2008 at 6:30 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
The final environmental report on a plan to take water from San Rafael Bay, remove the salt and send it to Marin residents has been completed, and could get approval from water officials in February.
But even if the report is approved at the Feb. 4 meeting of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors, it would not mean the desalination plan is a go in Marin. That decision would be made by the water board later in the spring as it devises a plan for what is expected to be a water shortfall in Marin in the coming years. “That decision will come at a later point,” said Paul Helliker, general manager of the Marin Municipal Water District.
The final environmental report is available at www.marinwater.org and it details how a desalination plant would operate in Marin.
A desalination plant could process 5 million gallons of water a day, cost $105 million to build and supply a large part of the county with a drought-proof source of water, according to the report.
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