Our climate is changing. The ability to successfully fight fires is an essential part of our future. Fire flow is the term firefighters use to describe how much water can be delivered by a water system through one or more hydrants to fight a fire at a specific location. To meet fire-flow standards, a water distribution system must deliver large amounts of water in a short period of time.
A first-ever master plan for making fire flow improvements began following voter approval in 1996. Voters agreed to pay an annual $75 fire flow fee on their property tax bills for 15 years to provide additional water flow for fighting fires and to help ensure the integrity of our water transmission system following a major earthquake.
In 2012 the Marin Water Board of Directors approved extending the $75 annual fire flow fee through 2031. The fee will fund water system improvements including replacing aging pipes and seismic stabilization/retrofits at pump stations and pipe bridges. For information regarding exemptions from the fire flow fee, click here.
We've been working to implement this program with the help of fire officials, city managers, and public works directors. This team reports regularly to city and county elected officials.
In addition to improving our ability to fight fires, we also have an aggressive fire prevention program on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed.