Investigation begins
An EBMUD investigator will assess the leak severity at the location and take actions to reduce the risk to public safety, property and the environment. Investigators do their best to respond within one hour, but higher priority leaks may take precedence.
On arrival, the investigator will deploy dechlorination and sedimentation controls. The investigator will close valves to reduce or stop the water, resulting in a water service outage for customers. For most emergencies, crews must work quickly to repair the pipe, and are unable to notify affected customers.
Locate and mark utility lines for safe digging
Just like all excavators, we call 811 to notify other agencies and utilities to mark the underground locations of gas, electricity, sewer and communications lines. This step is required by law and ensures EBMUD can dig without damaging other utility lines or endangering our employees and the public. Unless the break is an emergency, we must allow at least two working days for other utilities to locate their lines.
Prioritize repair
We prioritize the repair based on the investigator’s findings and other work in the service area. The status of all active repairs is constantly assessed and prioritized to dispatch the next available repair crew.
Repair Process
Crews pinpoint the leak using electronic or manual sounding devices to determine the location and confirm the leak is from an EBMUD pipe. Next, crews will dig and repair the water service line or pipe. The repair may require applying a clamp or replacing a pipe section. Water service may be disrupted during the repair. Then, crews will open valves required to turn the water main back on, flush the water main and sample for water quality. The excavated area will be backfilled and temporarily repaved, until crews return at a later date to permanently resurface the area.