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From Source to Tap
It all starts with a raindrop on the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. Learn more about the complex local system your water travels through to ensure it is clean, safe and delivered to your tap every time you need it. Use the buttons below to navigate to various steps of our water's journey.
Collected on the watershed and the hills of west Marin
Rain fills five reservoirs on the Mount Tamalpais Watershed and two in the west Marin County hills. District staff steward these 22,000 acres, leveraging outside funding sources to keep consumer costs low while working to reduce wildfire intensity and promote forest health. The costly work is critical to help foster a resilient, healthy watershed -- the foundation of 75% of the water produced for our customers. To reliably serve all of central and southern Marin, we maintain a partnership with Sonoma Water to purchase fresh drinking water from the Russian River.
Flows from our reservoirs
Using either gravity or energy-intensive pump stations, water is pumped from our reservoirs to one of our treatment plants. Trained Marin Water staff consistently test source water in our reservoirs, and employees at our treatment plants monitor flows into – and out of – the treatment facilities as part of a carefully choreographed operation used to ensure a ready water supply for residents in even the most far-flung portions of our service area. Although water use fluctuates daily, and is trending downward overall, the District’s costs to deliver that water are fixed.
Treated and tested
Raw local reservoir water is treated at one of our treatment plants. Specially trained technicians monitor a host of complex processes that create more than 20 million gallons of clean drinking water each day. The District’s testing regiment goes well beyond the water leaving our treatment plants. Annually, Marin Water staff conduct approximately 115,000 water quality and process control tests - from watershed to faucet - to ensure your water is safe to drink.
Imported and blended
Imported water from the Russian River travels south to Marin County and is blended with the District’s reservoir water. The Russian River water supply originates from rainfall that flows into Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino, and is naturally filtered through 80 feet of sand beds adjacent to the river.
Travels through our extensive network
Water travels through a portion of our vast distribution network, which includes 908 miles of pipeline – an outsized infrastructure footprint compared to other Bay Area water districts that serve much more densely populated communities. Marin’s scenic hills are part of what makes this such a picturesque place to call home, but this topography also means an extra boost is required to supply water to homes and businesses. About 90% of our water must be pumped at least once before it reaches the tap, and some of the water we deliver is pumped up to six times. A fleet of staff experts monitor and maintain our extensive pipeline network, executing the District’s Capital Improvement Program to ensure continual investments in this critical system.
Delivered to your tap
Water flows from our main water line toward the customer’s property, passing through one of 62,000 water meters before being delivered to the customer’s taps, ending the District’s work. The customer is responsible for the portion of pipes within their property’s boundaries. The entire journey – from rainfall to faucet – takes about 24 hours. For Marin Water, serving our customers is all in a day’s work.