North Marin Water District

What North Marin Water District does

North Marin Water District (NMWD) is a voter-approved independent special district of the State of California, formed in 1948 under the County Water District Law, that provides potable water, recycled water, and limited sewer services across approximately 100 square miles in Marin and Sonoma Counties. The district serves roughly 61,655 residents through 20,703 active Novato water connections, 785 West Marin water connections, and 235 Oceana Marin sewer connections, reaching 24,929 dwelling units in total. Water supply is sourced approximately 80% from the Russian River via a 7.1-mile North Marin Aqueduct (with a 19.9 mgd entitlement under the 2006 Restructured Agreement with Sonoma County Water Agency) and approximately 20% from the locally controlled Stafford Lake and 6 MGD Stafford Water Treatment Plant; recycled water offsets roughly 6% of Novato demand across 92 irrigation and commercial connections.

NMWD's technology stack is built around utility-scale infrastructure rather than software: the 335-mile Novato pipeline network, 2,714 fire hydrants, 42 storage tanks (32+ million gallons), 32 pump stations across four hydraulic pressure zones, AMI/SMART meters with Neptune E-Coder registers (a $5 million deployment begun in 2019), the WaterSmart customer portal, SCADA telemetry, and tertiary-treated recycled water distribution. Major capital milestones include the $16 million Stafford Water Treatment Plant reconstruction (2006), the $22 million Aqueduct Energy Efficiency Project (2015), and the pending Stafford Dam Adjustable Spillway Gate, which will add 726 acre-feet of storage. The district maintains a California ELAP-certified water quality laboratory and operates a backflow prevention and cross-connection control program that is being updated to comply with the State Water Resources Control Board's 2024 policy handbook.

The district's revenue model is a regulated utility rate structure: bi-monthly service charges ($59.60-$144.55 depending on meter size and zone) plus tiered consumption charges ($7.44-$14.36 per 1,000 gallons in Novato; $13.70-$17.76 in West Marin), with elevation-zone surcharges of up to $9.01/1,000 gallons, recycled water at $7.16/1,000 gallons, and a separate annual Oceana Marin sewer charge of $1,572 per dwelling unit collected via the property tax bill. The customer base is predominantly residential but includes commercial, industrial, institutional, and irrigation accounts, and a tiered rate design plus an extensive conservation rebate suite (Cash-for-Grass up to $1,500, high-efficiency toilets up to $200, weather-based irrigation controllers up to $1,500) implements structural demand management. The district is governed by a five-member elected Board of Directors and led by General Manager Tony Williams (appointed May 3, 2022); it transitioned from at-large to by-division elections in 2022 and rescinded drought emergency ordinances in April 2023.

Name

North Marin Water District

Legal name

North Marin Water District

Website

https://nmwd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Marin Water District is a California special district, formed in 1948, that provides potable water, recycled water, and sewer services to roughly 61,655 residents across 100 square miles of Marin and Sonoma Counties through 21,700+ connections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Novato

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Potable Water Service Charges: Bi-monthly service charges based on meter size plus quantity charges per 1,000 gallons based on usage tiers. Residential customers pay tiered rates: first tier $7.44/1,000 gallons, second tier $9.71/1,000 gallons, excess use $14.36/1,000 gallons. Commercial accounts pay $8.00/1,000 gallons.
2. West Marin Water Service: Bi-monthly service charges for water service to West Marin communities (Point Reyes Station, Olema, Bear Valley, Inverness Park, Paradise Ranch Estates). Rates differ from Novato service area.
3. Oceana Marin Sewer Service: Annual sewer service charge of $1,572 per dwelling unit, included on property tax bill, for the Oceana Marin sewer system serving 235 connections.
4. Recycled Water Service: Recycled water delivered to landscape irrigation customers and commercial applications. Rate of $7.16 per 1,000 gallons for recycled water. Currently has 92 active connections delivering approximately 191 million gallons annually (FY 2019).
5. Hydrant Meter Program: Rental fees for hydrant meters used for construction and other temporary high-volume water needs, plus charges for water used through the meter.
6. Conservation Rebates and Incentives: Various rebate programs including Cash-for-Grass ($1.50/sq ft up to $1,500), High-Efficiency Toilets ($100-$200), weather-based irrigation controllers ($30/station up to $1,500), pool removal ($1.00/sq ft up to 1,000 sq ft). These are costs to the district but incentivize water conservation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

North Marin Water District supplies potable water to roughly 21,700 active connections across two service areas (Novato and West Marin), collects and treats wastewater for the Oceana Marin community, and distributes tertiary-treated recycled water to about 92 large irrigation and commercial customers. Customers are billed bi-monthly using tiered usage rates plus a fixed service charge by meter size, with sewer charges for Oceana Marin collected on the property tax bill.

Product overview

North Marin Water District (NMWD) operates as a utility district providing water supply, treatment, and distribution alongside limited sewer services across 100 square miles in Marin County, California. The District's core portfolio is organized around two water service zones: the Novato Water Service (serving ~61,655 people via Russian River purchases through the North Marin Aqueduct and local Stafford Lake supply) and the West Marin Water Service (serving coastal communities via the Point Reyes Treatment Plant from groundwater wells). A third service line is the Oceana Marin Sewer Service for wastewater collection near Dillon Beach. Supporting the core utility operations, NMWD offers an extensive water conservation and efficiency program spanning both service areas, including the Water Smart Home Survey, Cash for Grass turf replacement, High-Efficiency Toilet and Clothes Washer Rebates, Weather-Based Irrigation Controller Rebates, and numerous other conservation incentive programs. Additional services include the WaterSmart customer portal (enabling real-time water use monitoring via AMI smart meters), Online Billing and Bill Pay, the Low-Income Rate Assistance (LIRA) Program, Laboratory Services for water quality testing, the Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control Program, Recycled Water distribution (serving landscape irrigation and commercial applications), and the Water Waste Reporting system. The District also publishes the Waterline Newsletter and operates the Stafford Lake Recreation Area. The AMI/Neptune E-Coder smart meters serve as the foundational technology layer enabling the WaterSmart portal and leak notification services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Novato Water Service Potable water supply and distribution for the Novato area, covering 75 square miles with approximately 20,703 active connections serving about 61,655 people. Water is sourced ~80% from the Russian River via the North Marin Aqueduct and ~20% from Stafford Lake through the Stafford Lake Water Treatment Plant, and is delivered through 335 miles of pipeline and 32 pump stations across four hydraulic pressure zones.
• West Marin Water Service
• Oceana Marin Sewer Service Wastewater collection and treatment service for the Oceana Marin community adjacent to Dillon Beach, serving 235 active connections with approximately 500 people across 1 square mile. Billed as an annual service charge of $1,572 per dwelling unit, included on the property tax bill.
• Recycled Water Service Tertiary-treated recycled water distribution for landscape irrigation and commercial applications across the Novato service area. Currently 92 active connections including 3 car washes, delivering approximately 191 million gallons annually (FY 2019) and offsetting about 6% of Novato's water supply. Rate of $7.16 per 1,000 gallons.
• Water Smart Home Survey Free water efficiency assessment service conducted by NMWD technicians covering both indoor and outdoor water use, including leak detection, irrigation inspection, custom irrigation scheduling, and installation of free low-flow showerheads and aerators. Available to residential customers in the service area.
• Cash for Grass Turf Replacement Incentive Residential cash incentive paying up to $1.50 per square foot of lawn replaced with District-approved low-water-use planted landscapes, capped at $1,500 for single-family dwellings, to reduce outdoor irrigation demand.
• High-Efficiency Toilet Rebate Rebate of up to $100 per High-Efficiency Toilet (HET) and up to $200 per Ultra High-Efficiency Toilet (UHET) for replacing pre-1993 non-water-conserving toilets, available to residential and commercial customers in the Novato or West Marin service areas.
• High-Efficiency Clothes Washer Rebate $75 rebate on qualifying Energy Star "Most Efficient" qualified washing machines, which can save up to 50% of water and 65% of energy versus conventional top-loaders.
• Weather-Based Irrigation Controller Rebate Rebate of $30 per active station up to $1,500 per controller for weather-based smart irrigation controllers that use weather data to automatically adjust watering times and frequency, potentially saving 30% or more on landscape water use.
• Hot Water Recirculation System Rebate $100 rebate for self-activated or on-demand hot water recirculation systems that work with water heaters to more quickly deliver hot water to plumbing fixtures, reducing water waste while waiting for hot water.
• Pool Cover and Pool Removal Rebates Rebate up to $75 for pool cover installation (50% of material cost) and $1.00 per square foot up to 1,000 square feet for pool removal, intended to reduce outdoor water use in single-family residential properties.
• Landscape Efficiency Rebate 50% rebate on District-approved water-efficient landscape equipment (drip irrigation, pressure regulators, multi-stream rotating nozzles, rain shut-offs, mulch, soil conditioner), up to $200 maximum for residential customers.
• Lawn Be Gone Program Do-it-yourself lawn replacement alternative providing free materials (cardboard, compost, and wood chips) for sheet-mulching of lawn areas, with the same eligibility as Cash for Grass but providing free materials instead of a rebate check.
• Rainwater / Greywater Rebate Rebate for installing systems that capture rainwater or divert greywater to offset potable water demand for landscape irrigation, requiring pre-qualification through the Water Conservation Office.
• Large Landscape Water Audit Program Water audit program for Novato non-residential irrigated large landscape areas, including catch-can tests, flow tests, irrigation inspections, and scheduling recommendations to reduce business water costs, available April through July only.
• WaterSmart Customer Portal Online customer portal at nmwd.watersmart.com enabling customers with AMI meters to view water use data, check for leaks, set up automatic use and leak notifications, and access live data.
• Online Billing and Bill Pay Secure online bill payment service via onlinebiller.com/nmwd offering one-time payments with credit/debit card or bank account, automatic recurring payments, email bill notifications, and management of multiple NMWD accounts under one login.
• Low-Income Rate Assistance (LIRA) Program Water bill discount providing a $30 reduction per bi-monthly water bill for low-income customers enrolled in the PG&E California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program, available to single-family residential customers in the Novato and West Marin service territories.
• Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control Program Comprehensive cross-connection control and backflow prevention program that identifies risk areas, categorizes hazards, and requires appropriate backflow prevention assemblies at service connections, with online test report submission via the SwiftComply portal.
• Laboratory Services Water quality testing and monitoring provided by a California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP)-certified laboratory, performing thousands of tests annually for regulatory compliance and offering free customer-requested testing when needed.
• Hydrant Meter Program Rental of portable hydrant meters to construction sites and other customers with temporary high-volume water needs, plus charges for water used through the meter.
• Water Waste Reporting Online reporting tool allowing customers and the public to report observed water waste or violations of non-essential water use prohibitions, with photo upload support and options to report gutter flooding, broken irrigation, customer leaks, and prohibited watering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycled water offsets approximately 6-13% of yearly District water use
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Long-term water supply partnership where SCWA provides Russian River water to NMWD. The Restructured Agreement for Water Supply (2006) authorized SCWA to construct facilities increasing NMWD's delivery entitlement to 19.9 mgd. NMWD purchases approximately 80% of its supply from SCWA, conveyed via the 7.1-mile North Marin Aqueduct.
• Novato Sanitary DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation on recycled water production. NMWD cooperates with Novato Sanitary District to produce and distribute recycled water for landscape irrigation in North Novato including Fireman's Fund business park, Valley Memorial Park cemetery, and Olive School playing fields.
• Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to deliver recycled water for landscape irrigation into the Hamilton Field area including Hamilton School playing fields, HOA common areas, and other public and private landscape along the recycled water pipeline route.
• Marin Municipal Water DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShares the North Marin Aqueduct for Russian River water delivery. Marin Municipal receives water via a separate aqueduct that bypasses the NMWD Novato Water distribution system. Also contributes to funding of the Aqueduct Energy Efficiency Project.
• CaltransminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Marin-Sonoma Narrows US 101 highway widening project. Caltrans relocated portions of the North Marin Aqueduct during construction and funded two-thirds of the $22 million Aqueduct Energy Efficiency Project cost.
• Regional Water Supply Resiliency Study PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with eight other water suppliers receiving water from Russian River and Sonoma County Water Agency for regional water supply resiliency study exploring new regional water projects including recycled water expansion, desalination, winter flow capture, and groundwater banking.

Scale indicators38 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marin Municipal Water District: Adjacent Marin County water district that also receives Russian River water via a separate leg of the North Marin Aqueduct. Closest geographic and operational peer — both are voter-approved special districts serving overlapping populations with similar source-mix and conservation programs, and they actively partner on regional supply projects.
• Sonoma County Water Agency: NMWD's primary wholesale supplier and a peer water utility in its own right, operating Russian River supply and serving Sonoma County customers. Highly comparable infrastructure base (reservoirs, aqueducts, recycled water) and overlapping regulatory/environmental issues.
• East Bay Municipal Utility District: Large Northern California water and wastewater utility serving ~1.4 million people. Comparable in service scope (potable supply, recycled water, wastewater) and in operating under a public elected board, with similar conservation/recycled water programs and source diversification challenges.
• San Jose Water Company: Investor-owned water utility serving ~1 million people in the greater San Jose area. Comparable in providing metered potable water, conservation rebates, AMI, and tiered pricing to a similar California suburban customer base.
• California Water Service Company (Cal Water): Investor-owned California water utility serving ~2 million people across 100+ California communities. Closest private-sector analog — provides potable water, recycled water, and conservation programs at multi-county scale under CPUC regulation.
• Zone 7 Water Agency: Alameda County water agency responsible for wholesale and retail water delivery plus treated wastewater for irrigation. Comparable scale, water treatment + recycled water operations, and active groundwater banking/recharge programs similar to those under study in NMWD's region.
• Contra Costa Water District: Bay Area water district drawing on Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta supply, serving ~500,000 people. Direct operational peer — voter-approved district, multi-source supply portfolio, active recycled water expansion, and similar wholesale-supply risk profile to NMWD.

Broad incumbents

• Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water): Large Silicon Valley wholesale water district managing raw water supply, groundwater, recycled water, and flood protection. Broader in scope than NMWD but operates the same kinds of infrastructure (reservoirs, treatment, recycled water pipelines) and faces similar California supply-risk dynamics.
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC): Regional wholesale and retail water/wastewater utility for San Francisco and Bay Area customers via the Hetch Hetchy system. Operates an overlapping technology stack (AMI, recycled water, large-scale treatment plants) and serves as the regional benchmark for urban water supply and conservation.

Regional players

• Novato Sanitary District: Adjacent wastewater agency and active NMWD partner producing the recycled water NMWD distributes. Functionally a direct upstream peer for the recycled water value chain, operating collection, treatment, and tertiary systems in the same Novato geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/northmarinwater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-Vhq2ZD84AhQXg22FPYopg
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthMarinWaterDistrict
• Instagraminstagram.com/northmarinwaterdistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-marin-water-district

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Marin Water District