From Watershed to Bay: Partners in action

Stand by the Bay, take in the views, watch the waves. Every day, EBMUD manages watershed lands and thousands of pipes delivering clean water to your homes. Once you use this water in your sinks, showers, and toilets, EBMUD makes sure it is cleaned again since all water in the East Bay ultimately flows to San Francisco Bay. We work hard to protect this jewel but can’t do it alone. We rely on our employees, our partners and you.

EBMUD works regularly with Baykeeper, Save the Bay and others to protect the San Francisco Bay.

EBMUD works regularly with Baykeeper, Save the Bay and others to protect the San Francisco Bay.

Together with local cities and state and federal agencies, we collaborate to fix aging, leaking pipes at every step of the wastewater collection process: from private homes and businesses, to city sewer pipes, to EBMUD’s own sewer interceptor pipes. We also support like-minded nonprofit groups like Baykeeper and Save the Bay who work to protect the Bay.

After you flush or send water down your drains, we treat, clean and disinfect that wastewater to protect public health and the Bay. While we’re on top of our treatment game, the impacts of society and urban areas on our natural environment are always evolving. That’s why we partner with the San Francisco Estuary Institute, a leader in monitoring the health of the Bay. Together we study emerging pollutants like tiny plastic ‘threads’ that shed from synthetic materials, as well as monitor the concentrations of nutrients in the Bay. We are working toward a better understanding of these complex challenges through science, so we can find the best solutions for the Bay.

While we further our understanding of how to best protect our natural environment, we remind you that you too can protect the Bay.

A clean SF Bay begins with you

Here are simple ways to reduce your impact every day:

  • Wipes clog pipes. Toss wipes in the trash, not the toilet.
  • F.O.G. be gone. Scrape fat, oil and grease into the compost, not 
the drain.
  • Keep the Bay off drugs. Toss old medicines into a disposal bin to keep them out of the Bay. Find a disposal site at ebmud.com/cleanbay.
  • Replace your private sewer lateral. If it leaks, fix it. Request a test at ebmud.com/psl.

Find out more about our work, see our insert in the September East Bay Express or online at ebmud.com/cleanbay.