Discover how we protect San Francisco Bay.
Free admission • Family-Friendly • Registration encouraged
Go behind the scenes at EBMUD's Main Wastewater Treatment Plant during this free, family-friendly open house. Take a guided tour, explore interactive exhibits, play games, win prizes, and discover how innovative wastewater treatment protects San Francisco Bay and the East Bay shoreline.
Learn how EBMUD transforms wastewater into valuable resources through recycled water, renewable biogas energy, and other sustainable technologies while meeting the people who make it all possible.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
EBMUD Main Wastewater Treatment Plant
2020 Wake Avenue
Oakland, CA 94607
Event highlights
- Guided, behind-the-scenes tours of EBMUD's wastewater treatment plant.
- Interactive exhibits and educational displays about wastewater treatment, innovation, and protecting San Francisco Bay.
- Connect with EBMUD employees and learn about careers in water and wastewater services.
- Family-friendly games, activities, prizes and giveaways.
- Join us for a bike ride to the event; free bike valet provided.
Guided tours
- Registration: Sign up at the Tour booth beginning at 10 a.m.
- Availability: First come, first served.
- Tour duration and schedule: see below for tour descriptions and departure times.
Everybody poops—so everybody’s invited! This ALL AGES tour takes a lighthearted look at the dirty work of wastewater treatment. With a flat, easy walk and plenty of potty humor, you’ll follow the flow, get the scoop on poop, and discover what happens after you flush.
Tour duration and schedule: 45-minute tours at 10:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Did you know we collect our own oxygen by cooling air to a frosty -183°C? Come see how it's done, get an up-close look at liquid oxygen, and learn about the role that oxygen plays in the treatment process.
Tour duration and schedule: 30-minute tours at 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m.
Must be 10+ years old to attend.
Discover a hidden side of the treatment plant! Venture into the network of underground tunnels beneath the facility and get an up-close look at sludge samples at different stages of the treatment process.
Tour duration and schedule: 30-minute tours at 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., and 12:45 p.m.
Must be 10+ years old to attend.
Did you know EBMUD produces more energy than it needs to treat wastewater? See how it happens on a behind-the-scenes tour of the waste receiving facility, digesters, and power generation station—and learn how waste is transformed into renewable energy.
Tour duration and schedule: 45-minute tours at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Must be 10+ years old to attend.
Come see where 30,000 samples are tested each year! Get an inside look at the tools and instruments used in the lab, learn how samples are tested, and see how testing methods have evolved over time.
Tour duration and schedule: 30-minute tours at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 1:15 p.m.
Must be 10+ years old to attend.
Did you know some of our treated wastewater gets a second life? See how a portion of it receives additional treatment before heading out through EBMUD’s purple pipe system to be put to use all over again. Come follow the journey and see water recycling in action!
Tour duration and schedule: 30-minute tours at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:00 p.m.