Redistricting ensures that each of Marin Water’s electoral divisions are substantially equal in population and in compliance with federal and state voting rights laws. The process is required once every decade following the decennial census, a survey conducted about the nation’s population and economy. 

While reviewing and, if needed, adjusting the boundaries of the divisions, the board may also consider the following factors:

1. Topography
2. Geography
3. Cohesiveness, contiguity, integrity, and compactness of territory
4. Community of interest of the divisions*

*A “community of interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single director division for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Communities of interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.  The board seeks public input on communities of interests within the divisions.

Other proposed adjustments

In addition to any adjustments to division boundaries guided by the 2020 census, the board will also consider a few other categories of division boundary adjustments. These other adjustments will ensure that:

• Newly annexed areas are included in a division
• Division boundaries align with the District’s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) service areas
• District divisions align with census block boundaries and city/town boundaries to the extent possible

Redistricting determines which communities and neighborhoods are grouped together into the district’s electoral divisions for the purpose of electing its board of directors. Marin Water customers have an opportunity to provide input on the district’s boundaries before the new map containing the adjusted division boundaries is approved by the board. 

The 2020 census data revealed that the total population within Marin Water’s service area as of 2020 was 192,961 – an increase of 8,211 people since the previous census was conducted in 2010.

The average number of people in each Marin Water electoral division increased from 36,950 to 38,592 from 2010 to 2020.

Increases in population to Marin Water’s service area were dispersed in a manner that continues to result in relatively equal populations in each division. This can be observed in the table below which contains the population numbers for each division: