EBMUD Completes $49 Million in Community Infrastructure Projects

OAKLAND – Between February and July 2020, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) completed work on more than 20 community infrastructure projects totaling $49 million. The projects include rehabilitated neighborhood water storage tanks, miles of new water distribution pipelines designed to withstand earthquakes, and a new photovoltaic system to generate energy from the sun.
These projects improve water quality and system reliability and extend the life of vital infrastructure that provides drinking water to 1.4 million customers and wastewater service to 685,000 customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

A recent study by the American Society of Civil Engineers and Value of Water Campaign found that billions in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure investment is needed across the United States as pipes, storage and treatment facilities age. EBMUD spends roughly two-thirds of its annual budget on capital investments to improve its systems.

“EBMUD recognizes the challenges of maintaining and upgrading a complex water and wastewater system during a time of climate change, a global pandemic and increasing affordability concerns,” said EBMUD President Marguerite Young. “That’s why EBMUD is grateful to our employees and customers for supporting our work to invest in our communities and renew our infrastructure today and into the future.”

Despite COVID-19 impacts to some work in early spring, EBMUD surpassed its goal of installing 17.5 miles of distribution pipelines in fiscal year 2020.While work on some projects were delayed due to shelter-in-place orders, EBMUD quickly adapted to increased safety protocols and restarted work to ensure round-the-clock water and wastewater services.

In total, EBMUD invested nearly $110 million in the water and wastewater systems over this six-month period. Of that, $49 million went toward completing the projects listed below. The remainder of the investment went toward projects still ongoing and other expenses.

Projects completed between February and July 2020 include:

PIPELINE REPLACEMENT

• Installed 9.1 miles of pipe in Alameda, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Danville, El Sobrante, El Cerrito, Lafayette, Oakland, Orinda, Richmond, San Leandro, San Pablo, and Walnut Creek. Total cost: $20 million.

PUMPING PLANTS

• Rehabilitated pumping plants with new mechanical and electrical equipment in Oakland, San Pablo, and El Cerrito. Total cost: $5.4 million.

WATER STORAGE TANKS

• Rehabilitated three water storage tanks with a combined capacity of four million gallons with new roofs and protective linings along with safety, electrical, and mechanical enhancements in Castro Valley, Orinda, and Walnut Creek. Total cost: $9.5 million.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

• In Oakland, placed into service a new one million-gallon pre-stressed concrete reservoir and a new pumping plant with the capacity of pumping 1.1 million gallons of water/day. The reservoir includes a 30-kilowatt photovoltaic system on the roof. Total cost: $9.3 million.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

• Rehabilitated two resource recovery tanks with mechanical and electrical modifications to improve the reliability of the related pumping equipment, and completed miscellaneous site drainage improvements. Total cost: $1.2 million.

WASTEWATER PIPELINE and SYSTEM

• Installed 1,950 linear feet of 36-inch diameter pipe and three underground structures to eliminate flow restrictions and provide relief sewer capacity through Albany and Berkeley. Total cost: $3.3 million. 

EBMUD continues to work on roughly 60 capital improvement projects and plans to begin another 30 projects the 2020-21 fiscal year. 

All told, EBMUD’s water system includes more than 4,200 miles of water distribution pipelines, two reservoirs in the Sierra Foothills, and five reservoirs in the East Bay, six water treatment plants, 164 water storage tanks, and 135 pumping plants. EBMUD’s wastewater system includes 29 miles of sewer interceptors (large-diameter collection pipes), 15 pumping plants, three wet weather facilities, and the Main Wastewater Treatment Plant at the foot of the Bay Bridge. For more information about ongoing EBMUD projects, visit ebmud.com/construction.

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The East Bay Municipal Utility District has a proud history of providing high-quality drinking water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. EBMUD’s wastewater treatment serves 685,000 customers and protects the San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.
 

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