A project to diversify EBMUD’s water supply while protecting a critically over-drafted groundwater basin is taking root in California’s Central Valley. A groundwater bank beneath rich farmland marks our latest investment in a sustainable water future, and it’s about to yield its first withdrawal.
DREAM – short for Demonstration Recharge, Extraction and Aquifer Management – is a unique urban-agricultural partnership aimed at developing new supplies during local water shortages. The pilot project allows San Joaquin County farmers to irrigate crops with EBMUD water diverted from the Mokelumne River instead of pumping groundwater from the area’s depleted aquifer. In exchange, EBMUD banks water in the subbasin for withdrawal in dry years. This fall we will conduct our first test to bring previously stored water to the East Bay through our aqueducts.
Snowmelt that feeds the Mokelumne remains our primary water source as it has for nearly a century. But with climate change and multi-year droughts posing ever-greater challenges, EBMUD plans far ahead for our region’s water needs – currently through 2050 – and has outlined actions to manage uncertainties. Our diversified water supply portfolio makes the most of our region’s resources.
We’re proud of EBMUD’s history of reliable water service, but our eyes are always on the future. Learn more at ebmud.com/watersupply.
Taking action to address water shortages
Water purchases and transfers
We buy supplemental water from the federal government and water agencies and draw it from the Sacramento River
Recycling
We reuse water for industrial and irrigation uses
Leak detection and repair
Innovative techniques reduce water loss and prioritize pipe repairs
Groundwater banking
Our DREAM pilot project is testing out groundwater storage for use in dry years
Water conservation
Incentive programs help customers save precious supplies
Strategic partnerships
We are a regional partner evaluating expansion of storage in Los Vaqueros Reservoir