October 18, 2021
EBMUD tees off recycled water at a San Ramon golf course
Recycled water at Canyon Lakes Golf Course will save 300,000 gallons per day of drinking water
SAN RAMON, CA – On September 30, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) connected Canyon Lakes Golf Course to its recycled water system, a hole-in-one for the agency’s water supply as dry weather – and water use for summer irrigation – persists throughout the Bay Area. This connection further realizes EBMUD’s goal to reduce potable water use for non-drinking needs like irrigation.
“This is a great shot for EBMUD. We need to get smart about how we irrigate parks and golf courses as we navigate this drought,” said EBMUD Board member John Coleman. “I’m proud we can save drinking water by supplying another large irrigator with recycled water.”
EBMUD switched the irrigation of Canyon Lakes’ front nine holes to recycled water in April 2021 and just completed the connection of the back nine. Canyon Lakes is a public golf course in San Ramon spanning 50 irrigated acres. EBMUD has connected 77 sites in the San Ramon Valley alone, saving enough drinking water to offset the indoor water needs of 20,000 residents. Adding the golf course is expected to save approximately 300,000 gallons of drinking water on hot summer days, enough water for around 6,000 residents.
EBMUD’s recycled water is highly treated wastewater that is suitable for a wide variety of non-drinking uses including irrigation, building cooling, industrial processes, and more.
EBMUD can currently serve 9 million gallons of recycled water per day to parks, golf courses, refineries, construction sites and other customers. The agency has set a goal of recycling 20 million gallons per day by 2040. EBMUD’s focus is reaching major water users in areas close to the existing system to maximize water savings. EBMUD will continue to add new connections in Oakland and Emeryville as well as work on partnerships with large irrigation and industrial customers.
On hot summer days every drop of wastewater that comes into the Jeffrey G. Hansen Water Recycling Facility in Pleasanton is recycled to serve customers in San Ramon, Danville, Pleasanton, and Dublin. EBMUD is working with the Dublin San Ramon Services District and the City of Pleasanton to identify supplemental sources that will allow water recycling in the region to continue expanding.
In addition to its recycled water program, EBMUD employs a variety of strategies to supplement and diversify its water supply portfolio, including customer water conservation, innovative leak detection technology, water transfer agreements, and the Freeport Regional Water Authority facility, which draws water from the Sacramento River in dry years. EBMUD began operating the Freeport facility earlier this month to supplement its Mokelumne River and local East Bay supplies, and prepare for the possibility of a continued drought.
For more information about EBMUD’s recycled water program visit ebmud.com/recycledwater.
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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 system serves 740,000 customers and helps protect the ecosystem of San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.
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