Wastewater treatment plant tours

Get to know EBMUD's Wastewater Treatment Plant!

Have you ever wondered about what happens to dirty water after it goes down the drain or is flushed down the toilet? EBMUD offers three options to learn more about how wastewater treatment protects public health and the San Francisco Bay:

1. Online virtual tour
2. Live-guided virtual tour
3. In-person tour

1. Online Virtual Tour

The online virtual tour “From your tap to the San Francisco Bay” is EBMUD’s newest online educational resource. The tour features a variety of engaging videos and interactive maps to help audiences of all levels learn about EBMUD’s Main Wastewater Treatment Plant.

2. Live-Guided Virtual Tour

The live-guided virtual tour is a one-hour, interactive PowerPoint presentation conducted over Zoom with an EBMUD staff member. This tour covers a range of topics, including types of wastewater, contaminants, pollution prevention, history of wastewater treatment, wastewater treatment fundamentals, and beneficial reuse. The tour is strategically designed for non-technical audiences around the high-school level; however, it can be customized as needed for special tour requests, e.g. younger audiences, graduate-level, etc.

Upcoming dates: To be announced

Submit a Group Tour Request Form to schedule a virtual tour for your school, work, or community group. Reservation priority is given to schools in EBMUD's wastewater service area.

3. In-Person Tour

In-Person Tours are offered March-October. Visitors must be over 10 years old.

The in-person tour is led by an EBMUD staff member at the Main Wastewater Treatment Plant and is approximately 1.5 hours. Chaperones are required for children and all attendees must be over 10 years old. Individual safety waivers are required. Safety is EBMUD’s top priority, as the treatment plant is an active, fully operational plant with heavy truck traffic. This tour involves walking up and down narrow stairways, walking over uneven ground, and potentially being exposed to strong odors and birds.

Public Tours: Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that due to popular demand, these free tickets are usually all taken within minutes. We do not accept telephone reservations.

Saturday March 1st, 2025 10am (registration opens 8pm on 2/13/25)

Saturday April, 5th, 2025 10am (registration opens 8pm on 3/20/25)

Saturday May 3rd, 2025 10am (registration opens 8pm on 4/17/25)

To requst an in-person tour for groups of10 or more, from your school, work, or community group:

Submit a Group Tour Request Form 

Reservation priority is given to schools in EBMUD's wastewater service area.

​​