Opportunities to diversify water supply still in reach

Some problems can be easily fixed; others require sterner measures.

The current imbroglios surrounding the actions (and inactions) of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors fall into the latter category.

After years of dithering and delays over what to do to resolve what has become an endemic water crisis it is fair to say that we need changes.

The authority, aka the five overseers of our long-term water future (which is no less than the power to regulate the most important element of our everyday lives), is being abrogated either by gross ineptitude or plain indifference.

How else to explain initial support of a $100 million pipeline to the East Bay which would take years to complete, assuming it survived a minefield of governmental and environmental challenges, and, even then, could supply barely 40% of Marin's water needs.

Knowing that the overwhelming weight of opinion from scientists, climatologists, university researchers, water policy experts and civil engineers predicts longer, more frequent and even more intense droughts as a result of climate change, why should we trust that still stricter conservation — combined with involuntary rationing — will turn the tide?

After the imposition of punitive water restrictions (which continue), financial penalties for violations and only sporadic rainfall, options such as enhanced recycling, groundwater recapture and more storage are finally getting some attention.

What are we to make of a board that has voted to arbitrarily obstruct or at least indefinitely delay a decision in favor of the development of a desalination plant under a previous ballot measure that cleverly derailed an opposing proposition and effectively took the power out of the voters' hands.

Directors essentially redlighted any meaningful efforts to pursue desalination as the ultimate option for a safe, permanent and reliable water supply. Marin operated a highly successful desalination pilot plant for one year (2005-06).

Newark, Antioch and Carlsbad adopted desalination and seawater desal plants are in development from Santa Cruz south to Monterey.

Marin officials, while warned about the potential for severe water shortages decades ago and the urgent need to devise new strategies, chose instead to bury their heads in the sand.

With forward planning, an environmentally sound, technologically proven and economically justifiable desalination facility might have been up and running part-time by now. It could have offset the initially high energy costs and been available for quick activation during emergencies.

Even had MMWD implemented some of the supply options it is just now getting around to studying, many experts are cautioning it might not have been enough to forestall the worst effects of a continuing drought this winter.

These repeatedly restudied options will supposedly be rehashed in the so-called Jacobs Report not due until August. Previews are not promising.

From my perspective, the water board members continue to justify spending millions more taxpayer dollars debating what are now outdated supply alternatives that they have known about for years and with competent management might already have significantly adapted to changing conditions.

Meanwhile, the growing howls from the public implore MMWD to institute changes that might restore some semblance of trustworthiness. Why are the summarily ignored?

When a critically important agency no longer demonstrates public accountability and is derelict in its duties, reelecting incumbents is taking a risk.

As a “special district,” MMWD is subject to legal authority under the Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) which is empowered to “establish, consolidate, reorganize or dissolve” such districts if they are not functioning properly.

Such actions can be requested by other local agencies, landowners or registered voters and Marin's LAFCO (on which I served as a public member and on the state executive board) could initiate proceedings.

San Francisco saw the wisdom years ago of creating the Public Utilities Commission consisting of appointees who oversee and regulate the city's water agency composed mainly of experts and not subject to the whims of elected officials with no term limits who can ignore the voters at will.

As a progressive county, perhaps Marin is ready to consider such change.