Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Sept. 24, 2022

Consider experience of MMWD incumbents

As a Nicasio resident, I don’t have a vote in the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors elections, but I would urge those that do to consider the truly intractable problems that will confront those eventually elected.

MMWD obtains the vast majority of its water supply from the rain that falls on Mount Tamalpais — no rain, no water, simple as that. Evermore stringent conservation and water-recycling measures are obvious and effective in the near term, but only if demand can be further reduced or firm supplies can be obtained elsewhere.

How likely is demand to be reduced, given the state mandate for thousands of additional homes in Marin?

Conservation means less water used. That means less revenue available to the district, which means that water rates will have to rise just to cover the district’s fixed costs of maintaining its existing infrastructure. In my experience, MMWD employees are hardworking and dedicated; don’t blame them for being properly compensated for enabling the district to provide an essential commodity.

If people are unhappy with today’s rates, wait until they have to pay the costs associated with building and operating a desalination plant tied into the existing distribution system. As for importing water, as droughts continue, there will be less and less “surplus” water available elsewhere. The price of that water will increase astronomically.

Not long ago, residential customers receiving water through the giant Metropolitan Water District in Southern California paid about $1,200 per acre-foot for their water. Marin could be looking at that price — and worse — as competition for scarce water supplies grows more intense.

The incumbent directors aren’t infallible, but they are experienced and knowledgeable about managing MMWD finances, water supply and watershed. Their opponents can’t make that statement.

— George Forman, Nicasio

Time for MMWD to replace old, leaky pipes

I am writing in response to the recently published Marin Voice commentary by Chris Morrison and Peter Hess (“Search for firm supply starts with recycled water infrastructure,” Sept. 15).

Clearly, the Marin Municipal Water District has a lot to answer for. In addition to being unable to guarantee a four-year water supply for its current customers, the district needs to deal with its 908 miles of aging and leaky pipelines, most of which are 70-110 years old and made of galvanized iron or concrete-lined asbestos.

Since water distribution pipes have an average life expectancy of 75 years, this requires considerable capital investment. Just how much water is now getting lost on its way to customers is still an open question, but without automatic monitoring systems, most pipeline breaks and leaks go unreported until someone notices or customers check their bills.

So, all excuses aside, what’s the plan? And how can MMWD possibly supply the new water hookups that will come with the state’s mandate for more housing across the county?

— Susan Cluff, Belvedere

Attention to detail made for great day at PorchFest

The Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association has a wonderful knack of throwing a party and having the entire neighborhood join in the fun. Despite the pouring rain on Sept. 18, musicians managed to delight the crowd under umbrellas while bagpipers circled around the blocks.

The third San Rafael PorchFest was a resounding success. Signs were clearly posted, the website had maps and lists of performers and leaves were raked away from drains to avoid water pooling onto the sidewalks.

Every detail of preparation resulted in a wonderful day of local music performed on neighbors’ porches, while wonderful and eclectic lunch from the food trucks — even the Girl Scouts selling cookies and lemonade — made for a fun family afternoon at a no alcohol event.

Many thanks to the volunteers from Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association, the City of San Rafael, musicians and all the sponsors who participated in this wonderful day — bravo.

— Gail Rouchdy, San Rafael

Rain was reason to celebrate in Gerstle Park

We all knew that we desperately needed rain. So, when it decided to grace us at the Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association’s third San Rafael PorchFest on Sept. 18, there was a wonderful festive atmosphere on the streets in Gerstle Park.

Attendees and volunteers navigated puddles, opened their umbrellas and enjoyed the many bands who were playing on 20 different neighborhood porches. They enjoyed the variety of food offerings, the Macintosh Pipe Band’s march through the streets and the exceptional camaraderie that developed during the day.

I have been taking photographs at events for a very long time in San Rafael and I don’t remember being at one that had such an elated feeling due to precipitation. In spite of the occasional downpour, everyone managed to make things work with big smiles. The GPNA, the volunteers, the musicians (almost 90 of them), the sponsors, porch owners, the food providers and the City of San Rafael should all take a bow — job well done.

— Joy Phoenix, San Rafael

Microgrids often cheaper than undergrounding

Contrary to popular belief, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. shareholders do not lose money if we install solar panels on our roofs. Nor do they make money if you plug an electric vehicle into your garage. PG&E only makes money on the infrastructure it puts into the ground. And that is fast becoming a problem.

PG&E is spending $3.75 million per mile to underground lines in high fire threat areas. It plans to do this for 10,000 miles of lines — about 9% of its circuits. That will cost nearly $38 billion — $6 billion more than the company is currently valued.

Most of this will occur in sparsely populated areas where just 5% of PG&E’s 5.5 million customers reside. That is an average cost of $150,000 per connected customer. And it will dramatically increase the rates all of us pay.

It would be far less expensive on many of these lines to shut down the circuit and, instead, install solar panels, batteries and a backup generator for each connected customer.

PG&E should be required to provide the state with the average cost per customer for each line that it intends to underground. Wherever the cost exceeds $150,000 per customer, PG&E would request bids from various suppliers to make the off-the-grid conversions, which would be financed through a state bond administered by PG&E and paid for by all customers. Affected customers would continue making monthly payments to PG&E based on their previous usage and current rate until the cumulative payments equal the total cost of the bond plus interest.

— Philip Quadrini, Marin City

Recent commentary reads like PG&E propaganda

Robert Archer’s Marin Voice commentary (“Rooftop solar overdue for a correction,” Sept. 16) reads like regurgitated propaganda from Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Some of the authorities he cites accept considerable funds from the utilities and thus have conflicts of interest. Their arguments against the most successful solar energy program in California history can’t withstand scrutiny. The facts are clear: Rooftop solar is growing fastest in middle- and working-class neighborhoods. Meanwhile, the long debunked fictional “cost shift” cited by Archer ignores the fact that rooftop solar owners actually save all ratepayers money by reducing the costs of stringing transmission wires all over California. These savings are estimated to be as much as $120 billion over the next 30 years.

Every electron generated on a rooftop is one the utility can’t sell that owner. Thus, utilities are doing everything they can to reduce solar growth. It’s all about the money. It always is.

— Robert W. Mills, San Rafael