San Pablo Clearwell Replacement & Water Treatment Plant Rehabilitation Project

EBMUD is replacing the 5.4 million-gallon San Pablo Clearwell (water storage tank) and rehabilitate portions of the San Pablo Water Treatment Plant both of which are located within EBMUD's San Pablo Water Treatment Plant site in Kensington.

The San Pablo Clearwell, an important reservoir for the area, has reached the end of its useful life. It will be demolished and replaced with two 3.5 million-gallon concrete tanks, then backfilled with soil within the existing reservoir basin. The San Pablo Water Treatment Plant is a standby facility that was rehabilitated and brought online to allow rehabilitation of the Orinda Water Treatment Plant in 2015. The project is part of a larger plan to construct and update existing facilities to improve water service by enhancing and modernizing water treatment and moving water efficiently to where it is needed most.

Improvements were also made to the San Pablo Tunnel that conveys water from the San Pablo Reservoir to the San Pablo Water Treatment Plant. A concrete plug with a steel pipe and valve was installed inside the tunnel southwest of the San Pablo Reservoir Outlet Tower on EBMUD property in El Sobrante. This retrofit isolates the tunnel from the reservoir as a fail-safe in the event of an earthquake and provides operational flexibility.

In addition, crews will install 1,250 feet of onsite and offsite transmission pipelines to connect the new facilities to the existing distribution system and replace aging pipelines. Pipeline installation will take place in the 200 block of Coventry Road in Kensington.

Workplan and schedule

The project will take place in three stages. Project construction activities began in early 2015 and will last through spring 2023.

1. San Pablo Water Treatment Plant Rehabilitation: This phase of the project was completed in 2015 and included electrical and mechanical upgrades at the Treatment Plant facility.
    
2. San Pablo Tunnel Improvements: This phase of the project was completed in 2018 and included the draining of the Tunnel and installation of a concrete plug and valve.
    
3. Installation of 42-inch transmission pipeline on Coventry Road and replacement of the San Pablo Rate Control Station: Spring 2019 – spring 2020.
    
4. Demolition and replacement of the San Pablo Clearwell: Spring 2020 - spring 2023. Includes demolition of the existing San Pablo Clearwell and construction of two replacement concrete tanks.

During construction, the community can expect to see tree trimming and clearing, large equipment and materials accessing the site, some dust and noise as well as temporary loss of street parking and lane closures. The site will be accessed via Berkeley Park Blvd. and Colusa Ave. Typical project work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. for all work on Coventry Rd. Some occasional Saturday work may occur between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If extended hours or night work is required, the community will be notified in advance of this type of work.

Contact information

Community Affairs
Email: Construction-North@ebmud.com
Phone: 510-287-7208
Emergencies or after-hours, call EBMUD 866-403-2683

Published studies and other resources

EBMUD has completed the Notice of Exemption for the project as part of the environmental process. This document is available below.

EBMUD and Contra Costa County held a joint meeting to address community concerns about the project on October 30, 2019. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and minutes from the meeting are available below.