Marin utility gets $6.4M grant for water main replacements

Significant upgrades to aging and leak-prone water pipes are coming to parts of Marin County through a $6.4 million state grant.

The Marin Municipal Water District plans to use the grant to replace half of the water mains in Marin City and about 17% of those in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael.

“This is one of the larger grants that the district has received,” said Elysha Irish, the district engineering manager. “This is a result of a very collaborative effort with our community partners.”

The grant is the first the district has received through a Proposition 1 program that funds water upgrades in disadvantaged communities, according to Irish. Proposition 1 was the $7.5 billion bond measure approved by state voters in 2014 for environmental restoration and water projects. The district will provide a $1.3 million matching contribution to the project.

Starting in January, the district plans to replace 3.5 miles of water pipes and 275 service lateral connections — the pipes that connect water mains to homes and businesses.

The projects will not disrupt water service because the new pipes will be installed parallel to the existing ones, Irish said.

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The grant application received support from U.S. Rep Jared Huffman and Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters.

Huffman, whose district includes Marin, said upgrades are overdue in the communities.

“Along with significant investment in local water infrastructure, this state grant funding will enable Marin Water and its partners to improve and rebuild our deteriorating water infrastructure in disadvantaged communities, and I will keep pushing to make sure our region gets its fair share of investments,” Huffman wrote in a statement.

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By:  Will Houston
Source: Marin Independent Journal

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