REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
For
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO ADMINISTER
A NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION PILOT PROJECT

1. INTRODUCTION
The Marin Municipal Water District (hereafter referred to as MMWD and the
District) requires technical support services to administer a new Neighborhood
Conservation Pilot Project (Project) for residential, commercial and landscape
customers. The selected Consultant will be experienced in water conservation
programs in MMWD, and specifically in all aspects of passive and active
rainwater harvesting design best practices including roof catchment, cisterns,
stormwater system diversion, low-impact design, pervious pavement, infiltration
basins, Bay Friendly Landscape and Gardening Guidelines, and greywater
systems technology and regulations. They will also demonstrate experience
providing a consistently high standard of customer service and dedication to
promoting environmentally appropriate conservation practices in Marin.
The District is seeking a qualified Community-Based Organization (CBO) with a
proven track record of implementing community-based educational outreach, and
conservation program services of similar size and scope. It is considered
essential to the success of the Project that the selected Consultant be locally
based in at least one of MMWD’s service areas.
The intent of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit assistance in the
development and implementation of the Project, to provide educational and
technical support, and focus on the promotion and implementation of
conservation behaviors and technology for MMWD customers. Consultants
responding to this Request for Proposals are asked to submit proposals that
address the requirements described in the Scope of Services, using the Required
Proposal Format.
The selected Consultant will be responsible for complying with all applicable
federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations affecting such work,
specifically including, but not limited to, environmental, labor, prevailing wage
laws, procurement and safety laws, ordinances and insurance. The Program will
be implemented in one of MMWD’s service areas, which includes the following
cities and towns: Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Forest Knolls, Greenbrae,
Kentfield, Lagunitas, Larkspur, Marin City, Mill Valley, Ross, San Anselmo, San
Geronimo, San Quentin, San Rafael, Sausalito, Tiburon, and Woodacre.
MMWD Request for Proposals – Neighborhood Conservation Pilot Project 2
2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Neighborhood Conservation Project (Project) is envisioned as a controlled
study of community-based conservation activities within one of the MMWD
service areas over a two-year period. The purpose of the Project is to achieve
the maximum possible reduction in per capita water use, seeking to answer the
question “How far can we go” to achieve conservation savings on a community
scale. The Project will ideally be implemented by a CBO located in one of the
cities or towns in MMWD, will promote existing District programs, and develop
new, innovative methods to increase participation in conservation activities and
potentially lower program delivery costs.
MMWD staff will work with the selected Consultant to provide material resources,
technical support, and training. The Consultant will provide dedicated staff and
an office located in the community to serve as an operational center for the
Project. The office will be a place where MMWD customers can participate in
educational events and training, and obtain materials and information related to
incentive programs and other conservation activities in the district. The
Consultant will coordinate with civic leaders, volunteers, businesses, residents,
schools, and other organizations to promote the objectives of the Project
throughout the city or town where they are located. MMWD staff will establish
protocols for data collection and will monitor, measure, and analyze Project
activities in cooperation with the Consultant.
The primary goal of the Project is to document and study per capita changes in
water demand within a community, when, under non-drought conditions,
additional community-based resources are employed. Although there is an
abundance of general information about conservation savings achieved during
drought emergencies, questions remain as to how much more demand reduction
can be achieved if enhanced efforts to promote and implement conservation is
made on a community scale. An important outcome of this project will be to
develop Marin-specific techniques to assist customers who choose to participate
in a variety of conservation activities, and to discover innovative methods to
MMWD can deliver assistance at the lowest possible cost.
The Consultant will provide a variety of opportunities for customers to participate
in conservation programs and activities including, but not limited to, public
workshops, site demonstrations, website content, printed materials, signage,
tours, school outreach, classes, and media events. The Consultant will document
the results of the Project in a Final Report submitted to MMWD, detailing costs,
challenges, customer feedback, site-specific experiences, and recommendations
based on the Project outcomes. Lessons learned from the Project will benefit
MMWD customers district-wide via improved customer service delivery, reduced
costs, and easier access to incentives and information.

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