New housing has minimal impact on water usage

The Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative — MEHC — attended the June 1 MMWD meeting, and the IJ’s June 2 article—Marin Municipal Water District delays decision on hookup pause—described the meeting well.  

One key fact about MMWD’s proposed moratorium on new water hookups cannot be over-emphasized: it would save only one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of the district’s current annual usage. This “drop in the bucket,” which would impose a substantial burden on those planning new housing, is a symbolic concession to ratepayers who, so far, have achieved a paltry 8.9% water usage savings in May, far short of the 40% reduction the District needs to keep the water flowing.  

If the District concludes that it must impose a moratorium, it should honor its responsibility to address the inequities that its past policies have created in shaping who can live here. There has been a water hookup moratorium in place for many of the last 50 years in Marin. These moratoriums, on top of local jurisdictions’ past and existing zoning policies, and public opposition to affordable housing, have helped to make Marin one of the most racially segregated and income-disparate counties in the state. This is especially concerning as most local jurisdictions will fall far short of satisfying their mandatory low-income housing responsibilities. 

MEHC is particularly concerned that we could lose Whistlestop/Vivalon’s Senior Housing and Active Aging Center in downtown San Rafael. The project would likely lose its grant funding if precluded  from starting construction next year. Marin adds so few new housing units per year, it makes little sense to bar any new construction when the impact on water-saving would be so minute and when so much of our affordable housing results from inclusionary units in otherwise market-rate developments. MMWD should at the very least exempt 100% affordable housing projects from any proposed moratorium.