A 4.5-acre site in Novato that was set to become an 87-room hotel might end up a pump station as part of a drought resiliency effort. The Marin Municipal Water District has signed an agreement to purchase the property on Wood Hollow Drive at Redwood Boulevard from the developer, Navin LLC. The utility announced the $4.8 million deal as it gears up to begin public outreach on an environmental study called the “atmospheric river capture” project. The initiative involves a proposed pipeline that would replenish Marin reservoirs with Sonoma County rainwater during droughts. The purchase of the property is contingent upon clearance of an environmental impact report, an analysis mandated under the California Environmental Quality Act to clear the way for construction.

Other drought resiliency news:

• Arizona Municipal Water Users Association: Blog: How water security enables Arizona to thrive in the desert — celebrating 114 years of resilience