East Bay MUD outlines treatment‑plant upgrades and proposed rate increases; Orinda council presses on hydrants and firefighting supply

Marguerite Young, East Bay Municipal Utility District (East Bay MUD) board president for Ward 3, told the Orinda City Council that upgrades at the local treatment plant and pipeline replacements across the service area are the utility’s largest capital priorities.

Young said the treatment‑plant work at the “Uwinda” (treatment) plant is the largest capital investment in East Bay MUD’s 102‑year history and that accompanying pipeline, pumping plant and watershed management projects will continue through 2025 and 2026. Sam Feldman, East Bay MUD’s budget manager, presented the agency’s rate proposal and participation options for residents.

Why it matters: East Bay MUD serves roughly 800,000 customers across the East Bay, and Orinda is within the utility’s watershed service area. Changes in MUD rates and capital plans affect local water reliability, wildfire‑preparedness coordination, and household bills.

East Bay MUD’s presentation summarized budget priorities, storm‑resilience and wildfire fuels management within the watershed, and a cost‑of‑service study the utility is required to update every 10 years. Feldman summarized the rate effects he expects: for the median customer he said the impact is roughly 12¢ per day effective in 2026 and another 14¢ per day in 2027. He described an average household water‑bill change for the 75th percentile user at roughly $12 on a $100 bill (about 12 percent) in the first year, and a projected 6½ percent increase the second year. The utility’s 10‑year forecast showed average rate steps after the initial years of 6.5 percent then 5 percent in later years; Feldman said the 10‑year cumulative increase would be in the neighborhood of 74 percent under the presentation assumptions.

Feldman also noted East Bay MUD’s customer assistance program, which staff said has a high income threshold so many qualifying households may not realize they are eligible.

Council questions focused on firefighting supply and hydrant condition. Council Member Hoxie asked about fire hydrant replacement and pressure; East Bay MUD staff said hydrants are typically replaced as needed when the replacement need is identified and flagged as part of larger infrastructure work. MUD officials emphasized that hydrants and neighborhood pressure sit within a combination of city and water‑agency responsibilities: the utility manages supply and reservoirs and ensures pumping capacity during fire risk days, while local jurisdictions may be responsible for on‑site distribution upgrades to increase pressure. "We make sure we top up our reservoirs when we're in red flag days so that we have as much water as possible to gravity feed for fires," Young told the council.

On regional firefighting preparedness, Young and Feldman said the utility has stored water resources and pumping capacity that can support firefighting operations and aerial water drops when needed, but they cautioned that no system is designed for the scale of some catastrophic events. EBMUD said it has added about $1 million in recent years for watershed and fuels management and plans two to three million in annual spending for those programs in the near term.

What’s next: East Bay MUD staff invited further questions and offered to work with Orinda on joint meetings about fuel reduction, evacuation planning, and coordination among the utility, the Moraga‑Orinda Fire District (MOFD) and other agencies. The rate proposal will proceed through EBMUD’s public hearing process; staff noted the board will consider approval for rates effective in early 2026 and again in 2027.