Sobrante Water Treatment Plant Reliability Improvements Project

Public Review of Draft EIR

The Draft EIR will also be available for public review at:

• EBMUD Offices, 375 Eleventh Street, MS 701, Oakland, California 94607
• El Sobrante Public Library, 4191 Appian Way, El Sobrante, CA 94803
• San Pablo Public Library, 13751 San Pablo Avenue, San Pablo, CA 94806
• Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804

The public review period is from September 12, 2024, to October 28, 2024. Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on October 28, 2024.  Written comments must be submitted to: Jae Park, 375 11th Street, MS 701, Oakland, California 94607, or emailed to sowtp.improvements@ebmud.com

Project Description

East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is in the planning phase of the Sobrante Water Treatment Plant (SOWTP) Reliability Improvements Project (Project) which is located at the existing SOWTP at 5500 Amend Road in El Sobrante and the City of Richmond and in public roads in the Cities of Richmond and San Pablo and unincorporated communities of El Sobrante and Rollingwood. EBMUD is proposing the Project to increase the SOWTP treatment capacity to meet future water demands, treat supplemental water supplies during drought years, reduce disinfection byproducts, and improve the water treatment processes.

The Project includes the installation of new facilities that have been divided into a Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 improvements will increase near-term water treatment capacity to 60 million gallons per day (MGD) while Phase 2 improvements will increase long-term water treatment capacity to 80 MGD.

Phase 1 includes replacement of solids handling and water reclaim structures and installation of a new chlorine contact basin for water disinfection at the existing SOWTP site in El Sobrante and City of Richmond. The existing aging solids handling, and water reclaim structures, which are located adjacent to the Maloney Pumping Plant on La Honda Rd and D Avila Way in El Sobrante, will be demolished after the completion of Phase 1. Phase 1 is current scheduled for construction from Summer of 2030 to Summer of 2034.

Phase 2 includes installation of additional solids removal and filtration treatment structures at the existing SOWTP site and installation of large-diameter pipelines, known as the Central North Aqueduct, from SOWTP along La Honda Road, D Avila Way, San Pablo Dam Rd, El Portal Drive, Rollingwood Drive, Road 20, and San Pablo Avenue (see image above). Phase 2 construction will not occur until water demands are realized.

EBMUD is preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Project. A Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an EIR and Initial Study was completed in March 2022 and is available at the link below (see "Published studies and other resources" section of this page).

EBMUD has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Project. A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the DEIR was completed on September 12, 2024 and links to the DEIR and NOA are available below (see "Documents" section).

Workplan and Schedule

The overall workplan and schedule is as follows:

• Notice of Preparation (NOP) of EIR Publication - March 11, 2022
• Virtual NOP Scoping & Community Meeting #1 via Zoom - March 24, 2022 at 6 p.m. 
• Virtual Community Meeting #2 via Zoom with the 94803 Emergency Preparedness Alliance – October 6, 2022 at 6 p.m.
• Virtual Community Meeting #3 via Zoom – April 27, 2023 at 6 p.m.
• Draft EIR Publication – September 12, 2024 
• Public Meeting to Review Draft EIR – October 10, 2024
• Final EIR Publication – Summer 2025 
• EBMUD Board Consideration of Final EIR – Summer to Fall 2025  
• Construction of Phase 1 – anticipated to occur from 2030 to 2035
• Construction of Phase 2 – anticipated to occur after 2045 when water demands are realized

Contact

Community Affairs
Email: sowtp.improvements@ebmud.com
Phone: 510-287-2053
Emergencies or after hours, call EBMUD 866-403-2683

Published studies and other resources

Public Meetings:

• Public Meeting No. 1, March 24, 2022: EBMUD held a virtual community meeting where staff presented the Project, conceptual site design, visual simulations, and solicited input on potential community ideas, issues, and concerns.
  Presentation recording: https://youtu.be/Yj_AknlrTq4
   
• Public Meeting No. 2, October 6, 2022: EBMUD attended the 94803 Emergency Preparedness Alliance meeting where staff presented the Project, conceptual site design, visual simulations, and solicited input on potential community ideas, issues, and concerns.
   
• Public Meeting No. 3, April 27, 2023: EBMUD held a virtual community meeting where staff presented the Project and shared revised conceptual site design, visual simulations based on community concerns from Public Meeting No. 1 and 2.
   Presentation recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2M-3pvGn1g

• City of Richmond Council Meeting, June 27, 2023: EBMUD provided a Project briefing at the City of Richmond Council meeting where staff presented the Project, revised conceptual site design, and visual simulations.

• Public Meeting No. 4, August 9, 2023, El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) Meeting: EBMUD provided a Project briefing at the El Sobrante MAC meeting where staff presented the Project, revised conceptual site design, and visual simulations.

• Public Meeting No. 5, October 9, 2024, El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) Meeting: EBMUD presented on the Draft Enviromental Impact Report (DEIR)

• Public Meeting No. 6, October 10, 2024, Virtual Community Meeting on Draft Enviromental Impact Report (DEIR).  Presentation Audio Recording: https://youtu.be/-wmk45jUQqM?si=dJahRHYhDlk7FZ3i

Document archives