North Marin Water District is planning hefty rate increases for its West Marin customers over the next five years to finance extensive repairs and upgrades to its aging infrastructure. The agency’s board accepted a rate study last week that calls for a 23.8 percent rate hike starting this July and 19-percent increases in the following four years to help pay for $27.5 million in capital improvements. The board will hold a public hearing on June 17, when it will vote on the package. The district serves about 1,800 customers, including 775 connections across Point Reyes Station, Olema, Bear Valley, Inverness Park and Paradise Ranch Estates. When the first round of increases takes effect, the median customer will see their bimonthly bill rise by about $25. “We’re looking at a pretty significant capital improvement program over the next 10 to 20 years, with two big projects coming up in the short term,” said Tony Williams, the district’s general manager. “We don’t have that kind of cash in the coffers, so we need to go get a loan or bond to make it all work. The increases are necessary to prove to a bank that we can repay the loan.” When Caltrans replaces the Green Bridge in the summer of 2026, the water district will need to replace a pipeline below the span. And it will be required to reroute a second pipeline when the county replaces the Olema Creek Bridge on Levee Road. Each of those projects is expected to cost about $1.25 million. The district’s water comes from two wells at the Gallagher ranch outside Point Reyes Station, but one of them has a low production rate and needs to be replaced. The second well, which began operating in 2022, was built to replace wells at the former Coast Guard facility that were subject to occasional flooding and salinity intrusion. The Coast Guard wells are still used in the operation of the district’s water treatment plant and as occasional short-term backup for the Gallagher wells. “We need to put some redundancy in the water supply,” said Ken Eichstaedt, an Olema resident who serves on the district’s board. “Then we have a treatment system in Point Reyes Station that is 50-plus years old that needs rehabilitation and replacement.” In addition to the rate increases, the district plans to seek state and federal loans to cover some of the costs.