Amid drought, Marin Water looks to education, incentives to conserve

The Nicasio Reservoir is one of Marin Municipal Water District’s seven, including Alpine, Bon Tempe, Kent, Lagunitas, Phoenix and Soulajule. As of July 25, the reservoirs were at about 42 percent capacity, or 33,052 acre-feet, down from 60,286 last year and an average for the date of 63,926, or 80-percent capacity. (Image via County of Marin)

Bill Shaw has been following the new water-use restrictions imposed over the last several months to help combat the county’s exceptional drought conditions.

In a recent interview outside of Sweet Things Bakery in The Cove Shopping Center, the San Geronimo Valley resident said he’s cut his normal irrigation water use by 40 percent and limits himself to two or three showers a week. In a drought, everyone needs to make changes, Shaw said.

With the county coming off its second-driest year in 90 years, the Marin Municipal Water District has implemented a slew of mandatory restrictions since officially declaring a drought in February — and it’s also focusing efforts on educating and incentivizing homeowners and businesses to conserve, district Director of Operations Paul Sellier said in a July 20 teleconference presentation to the Belvedere-Tiburon Joint Disaster Advisory Council.

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