Customer Pipeline

June marks the 50th anniversary of EBMUD’s Lafayette Reservoir Recreation Area, a destination that draws over a million visitors a year looking to hike, picnic, fish, or just enjoy a moment of solitude overlooking the water.

It’s the picture of summer: kicking your feet up and relaxing under a leafy tree. What would we do without our majestic maples and stately sycamores? They improve air quality, keep homes cool and make a patio or yard the perfect place to unwind.

After four years of drought, EBMUD made up for shortages last year by purchasing 19 billion gallons of water, or about a four-month supply of water, from the Sacramento River.

Water reaches your tap through an underground system of more than 4,200 miles of pipes called mains. When pipes leak, main breaks occur. Breaks can happen daily because of ground movement, corrosion, soil conditions or age. Last year, EBMUD crews fixed a record-breaking 1,155 main breaks—about three per day.

Even at the most water efficient homes, leaks can be frequent visitors. Be a leak detective this spring and find leaks hiding in and around your home.

During droughts, both people and fish have less water available than they’re used to having. Last year we preserved as much cold water as possible in our Sierra reservoirs for release during the fall salmon run in the Mokelumne River.

Turn on your tap and out comes the water. Simple, right?

You roll out of bed, take a leisurely shower, brush your teeth, make coffee, load the laundry and boom! Just like that, you’ve blasted through so much water… and it’s only 10 am.

Help save the Bay and save yourself the hassle of calling a plumber every time your toilet clogs. Fix or replace your sewer line today.

Our water reserves are half empty. This is the driest four-year period in EBMUD’s history. In addition to drought worries, many customers have noticed changes to the taste and smell of tap water, caused by decreased reservoir levels, increased algae levels and different drought supplies. Your water is safe to drink and use. These changes are in place to make sure people and businesses in the East Bay have water if we face another dry year.