### San Rafael Sanitation District and Central Marin Sanitation Agency Forge New Partnership
This blog post explores a significant shift involving the San Rafael Sanitation District and the Central Marin Sanitation Agency (CMSA). After years of back-and-forth, San Rafael is handing over some management and administrative duties to CMSA.
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The goal? More efficiency and clearer finances for both groups. Leaders hope this move will streamline things and keep wastewater services reliable for residents in several Marin County communities.
## A New Era for San Rafael’s Wastewater Management
The City of San Rafael is taking a fresh approach to wastewater infrastructure. They’re shifting operational and administrative functions of the San Rafael Sanitation District to CMSA.
This agreement took almost three years of negotiations. Both the San Rafael City Council and the sanitation district’s board approved it, which feels like a big moment for wastewater management in Marin County.
Since 1947, the San Rafael Sanitation District has played a key role in the community, handling the collection and conveyance of wastewater. Managing and modernizing this critical service isn’t easy, though. With this new setup, San Rafael can ease some of those burdens and tap into CMSA’s specialized expertise and resources.
### Shifting Gears: What This Means for San Rafael and Beyond
The heart of this agreement is pretty simple: CMSA will now take over tasks that city staff used to handle. We’re talking about things like hiring, managing employees, and providing key administrative support.
This change lets San Rafael zero in on its core municipal work. Residents in San Rafael, San Anselmo, and Fairfax—anyone relying on these services—should notice the difference.
The San Rafael Sanitation District runs a tight ship, with eight staff members keeping things moving. They manage 33 pump stations, 132 miles of sewage pipes, and another 13 miles of pressurized lines.
These folks work hard to get wastewater delivered to CMSA for treatment. It’s wild to picture all those pipes under our feet, stretching from Terra Linda to Dominican, quietly doing their job every day.
On the money side, the district expects $26.3 million in revenue and $33 million in expenses for the upcoming fiscal year. City officials say this shift brings some much-needed financial clarity.
By letting go of administrative headaches and making roles clearer, San Rafael can handle its finances with a bit more confidence. The city hopes this will help avoid the usual confusion that comes with the district’s shift toward a more specialized wastewater model.
Mayor Kate Colin and Assistant City Manager Angela Robinson Piñon both called this move a smart way to modernize operations. They pointed out it should help attract and keep talented staff, and boost reliable service for ratepayers in places like Mill Valley and Tiburon.
This partnership is all about keeping the infrastructure we depend on running smoothly. After all, nobody wants to think about what happens when it doesn’t.
#### The Expanding Reach of Central Marin Sanitation Agency
CMSA acts as a joint powers authority and already serves as a major wastewater treatment center for Marin County. Its members include communities like Larkspur, the Ross Valley Sanitary District, and Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County.
CMSA’s team is about 48 full-time employees strong. They bring in roughly $26 million a year and spend about $17 million on operations.
Their infrastructure is no joke—over 70 pump stations and more than 450 miles of sewer lines. That’s a lot of ground covered, and it shows CMSA’s ready to take on more from the San Rafael Sanitation District.
Looking forward, the San Rafael Sanitation District wants to see if a full consolidation with CMSA makes sense. Imagine one efficient agency handling wastewater for a big chunk of Marin County. The district plans to chat with the Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (Marin LAFCo) about next steps, hoping for a future that’s even more streamlined and cost-effective for everyone.
There are some budget impacts to watch in San Rafael’s 2026-27 plans. The city will need to cover reimbursement for admin and support costs it’s already paid, settle some unfunded pension liabilities, return certain district-held replacement funds, and pay out accrued leave for staff moving to CMSA. That level of transparency really matters for keeping the city’s finances in check.
Here is the source article for this story: San Rafael and sewage agency revise arrangement
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