Upper San Leandro (USL) Dam Outlet Tower

The Upper San Leandro (USL) outlet tower is located at the USL Reservoir, about 8 miles southeast of downtown Oakland, California. This outlet tower conveys raw water to the USL Water Treatment Plant for treatment and distribution to EBMUD customers. Constructed circa 1925, the USL outlet tower is a concrete structure that is about 94 feet high, with an inside diameter of 8 feet 6 inches and an outside diameter of 11 feet 6 inches.

Seismic evaluations conducted by EBMUD concluded that the tower would be damaged during a major earthquake, which would limit or prevent the operation of the USL Water Treatment Plant. Therefore, the tower was retrofitted to ensure continued safe operation. The retrofit included bracing the tower to the shore to increase the seismic stability of the structure. EBMUD also improved the operational reliability and efficiency of the outlet tower by replacing the gate valves, outlet sluice gate, and electrical equipment. Construction was completed in October 2018.

USL Tower

Contact Information

Community Affairs
Email: community@ebmud.com
Phone: 510-287-0151