Real estate

The EBMUD Real Estate Services team is responsible for overseeing and managing almost 2,000 properties, including more than 60,000 acres of watershed land, to support EBMUD’s mission to provide high-quality drinking water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. We also work with developers, telecommunication companies, community members and other organizations to support their goals to deliver exceptional service and turnaround time for all inquiries.

Using EBMUD real estate 

If you are interested in using EBMUD property, please contact the Real Estate Services team at 510-287-1244. Once we discuss your inquiry we will likely request the following: 

  • Complete an application and mail it along with the application fee to:

               EBMUD
               Real Estate Services
               375 11th Street, MS 903
               Oakland, CA 94607

  • Your proposed use will then be evaluated based on the following criteria:

             - Does this use adversely impact EBMUD operations?
             - Is the proposed use compatible with EBMUD's land management  policies and practices?
             - Are there measurable benefits to EBMUD?

  • If your application is approved, you will be asked to pay for the value of the property rights to be conveyed to you along with any other applicable associated costs. 

EBMUD surplus real estate for sale

EBMUD occasionally sells surplus property.

Please check current property sales or contact us at 510-287-1244 to be added to our surplus property email list to be notified of future sales.

Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank

The Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank (ORCB) was approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January 2017 to offer habitat credits for certain protected species. Learn how to purchase habitat credits for EBMUD’s Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank.

Resources

Real Estate Documents

Frequently asked questions

Complete the application and mail it in with the appropriate application fee. The more thorough and accurate the information you provide, the faster we can respond.

This fee covers the administrative costs associated with the review and evaluation of your application and is based on the type of use you desire.

Yes, you will be required to pay the fair market value of the property rights being conveyed. EBMUD determines the fair market value for its property by obtaining a real estate appraisal. In addition, there could be costs related to engineering design work, real estate appraisals, and other special studies such as geotechnical investigation.

No, the fee covers EBMUD's cost of staff time to review your request; however, staff will provide you with an initial screening of your application before your fee is accepted.

Your request will be completed as quickly as possible, depending upon your needs. Simple requests may take two to four weeks, while a more complicated project can take up to six months for completion. You may be asked to provide additional information such as drawings, plans, environmental documentation, etc. It is your responsibility to respond in a timely way.

You should communicate to our Real Estate Services staff any important dates that pertain to your request and project. While our workload and the nature of the proposed use may not always allow us to expedite requests, we will provide the fastest response possible.

Yes, occasionally EBMUD sells surplus property. Under California law, it must first be offered to other public agencies and then to the general public. Our practice is to sell surplus real estate in the manner which brings the most revenue to EBMUD. Usually the process involves competitive bidding. When parcels are sold by competitive bid, the sale is advertised in local newspapers and by mailers to interested parties. If you would like to be on our surplus properties mailing list, please call Real Estate Services at (510) 287-1244.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires us to consider the possible environmental impacts associated with your use of EBMUD land. Many requests involve little or no impacts; others require detailed studies called environmental impact reports. Our staff will contact you to discuss requirements for your particular project. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call. Thank you for your interest in using EBMUD lands.

For more information contact custsvc@ebmud.com.

Contact Information

Real Estate Services
510-287-1244
realestate@ebmud.com