March 22, 2022
EBMUD Water Treatment Plant to receive $3.5M in federal community project funding
OAKLAND – The passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 brings $3.5 million to customers of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) for needed improvements to the Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant in Oakland. EBMUD will upgrade the treatment plant to ensure the highest quality drinking water for its 1.4 million customers. The fiscal year 2022 government funding package was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 15.
“This is fantastic news for the East Bay, and we are immensely grateful for this support,” said EBMUD Board President Doug Linney. “The improvements are aligned with our goals of protecting public health and the environment, addressing climate change, and building resilience.”
EBMUD is proud to be recognized as a leader in infrastructure investment. This project is also expected to create 700 construction jobs for the greater Bay Area, not just for EBMUD but for our local business community.
“As EBMUD makes these important infrastructure investments, we will offer opportunities for small businesses including those owned by minorities, women and disabled veterans, to bid on this project,” said EBMUD Board member William Patterson, whose ward encompasses the Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant.
In addition to increasing water quality reliability for the East Bay, the Upper San Leandro plant project increases EBMUD’s ability to treat its drought supplies from the Freeport Regional Water Facility on the Sacramento River, which is increasingly important as the region faces some of the driest conditions in a century. The project will also enhance access to supplemental water supplies during emergencies such as fires and earthquakes. It also supports EBMUD’s ability to store cold water in Pardee Reservoir, vital to sustaining the Mokelumne River fishery.
“The improvements to Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant will directly benefit the communities we serve, including many that are disadvantaged – such as East Oakland, while also making EBMUD more resilient at a time when we face many challenges related to climate change,” said EBMUD General Manager Clifford Chan.
Built in 1927, Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant has been upgraded or expanded nine times. The latest upgrade was in 2018, when EBMUD replaced the aging ozone system with a state-of-the-art oxygen-fed ozone system. The plant serves the communities of Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley and portions of Hayward and unincorporated Alameda County.
The estimated cost of the project at Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant is $88 million. Construction is expected to begin in winter 2022-2023, with completion expected by spring 2026.
The Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant is one of six drinking water plants that EBMUD operates in the East Bay. These plants remove minerals and other contaminants from water that originates in the Mokelumne River watershed in the Sierra Nevada foothills, 90 miles from the East Bay. From there, the water flows through thousands of miles of distribution pipelines to 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
###
The East Bay Municipal Utility District has a proud history of providing high-quality drinking water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. EBMUD’s wastewater system serves 740,000 customers and helps protect the ecosystem of San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.
Connect with EBMUD / ebmud.com / Twitter / Facebook / Nextdoor / LinkedIn / YouTube