Contra Costa Water District and East Bay MUD brief Walnut Creek council on supply, infrastructure and resilience

Ernesto Avila, president of the Contra Costa Water District, and Luz Gomez, Ward 2 director for the East Bay Municipal Utility District, briefed the Walnut Creek City Council on April 15 about regional water supply, infrastructure projects and emergency planning.

Avila told the council that Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) supplies treated water across the region and that “we get about 99% of our water from the Bureau of Reclamation” via the Central Valley Project. He said CCWD serves about 520,000 people in its service area and that Los Vaqueros Reservoir and Lake Shasta are key supply indicators. Avila described an aging open‑channel Contra Costa Canal — roughly 80 years old — as driving current planning and financing needs, and estimated the canal replacement program could top $1.5 billion. He said CCWD has already piped nearly five miles of the first reach and runs a pipeline renewal program replacing about three to four miles of pipeline each year.

Gomez, who represents Ward 2 on East Bay MUD’s board, said East Bay MUD serves about 1.4 million customers, maintains…