EBMUD

Alameda County residents looking for EBMUD service information can use this article to choose the right customer service channel, arrange water service, pay a bill, request assistance, and respond to an outage or leak. It also explains the information needed for common requests, the differences between payment options, and the responsibilities that affect property owners, businesses, and customers planning new water connections.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District, commonly called EBMUD, provides water and wastewater services in the East Bay. Its customer information describes service for approximately 1.5 million water customers and 740,000 wastewater customers. For an Alameda County property with EBMUD service, account questions, water emergencies, and district service requests belong with EBMUD. The official EBMUD website provides access to account management, bill payments, conservation programs, and construction information.

Which Service Channel Fits Your Request?

The EBMUD customer services page organizes routine tasks such as managing an account, starting or stopping service, understanding a bill, and reviewing water quality information. It also provides access to meter information, water pressure requests, construction updates, and assistance programs. Choosing the section that matches your problem helps keep an account request separate from a construction application or emergency report.

Customer Service handles account and billing questions during its published hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Emergency Dispatch is available around the clock for water main breaks, damaged hydrants, and situations involving heavy water flow. A nonurgent contact form is another option, but its response period makes it unsuitable for an active water emergency.

Starting, Stopping, or Transferring Water Service

Customers moving into or out of a property can start, stop, or transfer existing water service through EBMUD’s online portal. Starting service at an existing residence is a different task from requesting a new physical water connection for a development project. The residential account process establishes service for the customer; Development Services handles applications for new or modified water and fire service.

Information Needed to Start Service

The EBMUD start-service instructions identify the information customers need before submitting a request:

An EBMUD ID to log in online.

The service address.

The requested new service start date.

Identification: the last four digits of a Social Security number, a driver’s license, or state identification.

Have the service address and requested date ready before beginning. The service address identifies the property receiving water, while the EBMUD ID provides access to the online system. Enter each item in the appropriate field so the request concerns the correct property and account.

Online Eligibility and Establishment Fees

Online service initiation is available only for single-family residences in good standing with their water bills. Multifamily properties, businesses, and other customers must contact Customer Service during its weekday hours to establish service.

Starting service online carries a reduced account establishment fee of $65. Establishing service by phone carries an $80 account establishment fee. In either case, the fee appears on the first bill. Customers should choose the channel that fits their property type and eligibility rather than assuming every service request can be completed online.

Bill Payments and Processing Times

EBMUD offers online, telephone, mail, dropbox, and cash pay-station options. The official bill payment page explains the accepted payment methods, transaction fees, and processing periods. These differences matter when a payment deadline or service interruption is approaching.

EBMUD states that payments generally take two business days to process, except for pay stations, which take three business days, and methods with a separately stated processing schedule. A payment submission and its processing are separate steps. Allow for the schedule of the method you choose.

Online Accounts and One-Time Payments

The online account option supports paperless billing and automatic payments. EBMUD lists Mastercard, Discover, and American Express for this option, along with direct debit from a bank account. Direct debit has no fee. First-time users can follow the account setup instructions, while returning users can access the bill payment system through the official payment page.

The online one-time payment option accepts a credit card, debit card, or e-check and carries a $3.50 transaction fee. This option is separate from setting up an online account and arranging automatic payments. Review the payment method and fee before submitting the transaction.

Mail, Dropbox, and Cash Payments

Payments by mail and EBMUD dropbox accept checks or money orders only. A mailed payment is processed the next business day after receipt. A dropbox payment is processed the next business day after a scheduled pickup, so the pickup schedule affects when processing begins. EBMUD’s payment page provides dropbox locations and pickup information.

Cash pay stations charge no fee and process payments in three business days. They accept cash only; checks and money orders are not accepted. EBMUD specifically states that its office is not a pay station. Customers planning to pay cash should select a designated pay station through the official payment information rather than taking cash to the administrative office.

Telephone bill payments accept a credit card, debit card, or e-check and carry a $3.50 fee. Trucked waste customers have a separate payment option for EBMUD’s Resource Recovery program. A household water bill and a trucked waste payment should be handled through their respective payment systems.

Payment Notices and Interrupted Service

Contact Customer Service if the issue concerns a payment made at a pay station, a 48-hour notice, or a service interruption for which you need service restored the same day. EBMUD directs customers with these issues to a representative during customer service hours. Making a payment through a system with a processing delay should not be treated as confirmation that a restoration request has been handled.

Payment Extensions and Bill Assistance

Customers having difficulty paying can review EBMUD’s payment assistance and extension options. The district offers both income-based assistance and payment arrangements that customers may request regardless of income. These are different forms of help, so select the option that matches your situation.

Customer Assistance Program Eligibility

The Customer Assistance Program, or CAP, provides up to a 50% reduction on the water bill for qualified low-income customers in single-family dwellings and for eligible homeless shelters. EBMUD wastewater customers can also receive up to a 35% reduction on wastewater charges.

The stated reductions are maximum amounts, and the program requires qualification. Customers seeking CAP assistance should use the program application available through EBMUD’s customer information. The water bill reduction and wastewater charge reduction are separate benefits; do not assume the same percentage applies to both.

Extensions Without an Income Requirement

All customers, regardless of income, may request a payment extension or payment arrangements. Online, log in to the account and select “Request Services,” then “Payment Extensions.” During business hours, Customer Service can assist. After hours, EBMUD’s Interactive Voice Response system provides another way to request arrangements through the district’s main telephone number.

For certain residential properties where the owner is the account holder, EBMUD also describes a lien and property tax collection program for delinquent charges. Its assistance page explains that this program allows water to remain on at multifamily residential buildings and qualifying single-family residential premises while charges are collected through liens and property tax bills. Customers with questions about their account should review the district’s program information and contact Customer Service.

Water Outages and Emergency Reports

The EBMUD alerts and outages page displays locations where emergency repairs require water to be shut off without advance notice. These events can include a broken water main or a hit hydrant. Customers can also sign in to subscribe to emergency alert texts and emails.

What the Outage Map Shows

The emergency outage map does not show planned operational outages. EBMUD states that customers receive advance notice when repairs are made for operational reasons. Planned water system improvements also have separate project information. An address absent from the emergency map therefore does not establish that no scheduled work affects that property.

Alert subscriptions can provide information about outages and construction affecting a street address or another address within EBMUD’s service area. This is useful for customers responsible for more than one property or for those who need updates about a specific location.

Reporting a Main Break or Hydrant Damage

For a water main break, hit fire hydrant, or heavy water flow, call Emergency Dispatch at the district’s main number shown in the office list below. The contact instructions specify selecting 1 for English, then 1 for Emergency Dispatch. Emergency reports are accepted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When reporting a leak, provide the street name, intersection, or address. Describe any street damage or flooding. These observations help EBMUD assess the location and severity of the problem. Use the emergency reporting channel for an active incident rather than waiting for a response to a general contact form.

Household Steps After an Outage

EBMUD advises customers without water service to shut the water supply valves to toilets in the home. Once service returns, run the front hose bib—the outdoor faucet at the front of the house—until the water runs clear. Also run cold water from indoor faucets for one to three minutes until clear, then turn the toilets back on.

Leaks, Repair Responsibility, and Street Work

EBMUD’s leak and water main repair information explains both the district’s responsibilities and the steps involved in restoring service. EBMUD repairs leaks in its water meters and water mains. Customers are responsible for leaks on their side of the meter, including the pipe between the meter and building, irrigation systems, and indoor plumbing.

Investigation and Repair Scheduling

An investigator assesses a reported leak and takes steps to reduce risks to public safety, property, and the environment. Investigators try to respond within one hour, but higher-priority leaks may take precedence. Closing valves to reduce or stop the discharge can interrupt water service. During emergencies, crews may need to concentrate on repairs and be unable to notify affected customers.

Repair priority depends on factors such as leak severity, public safety, environmental effects, potential property damage, and unsafe traffic conditions. Smaller leaks may be scheduled to allow customer notification and marking of underground utilities. Unless the break is an emergency, EBMUD must allow at least two working days for other utilities to locate their lines before excavation.

Repair Duration and Permanent Paving

Most pipeline repairs can be completed in six hours or less, according to EBMUD. Larger or more complicated repairs can take longer, particularly when crews need special equipment or other utilities must complete work first. Service resumes after repairs are complete and EBMUD has tested the line.

Crews backfill excavations and apply temporary paving before returning for permanent resurfacing. Permanent street resurfacing may take 30 days or longer, depending on weather and workload. A temporary road patch can therefore remain after water service has been restored.

If a district-related incident damages your property, contact Customer Service and ask for Risk Management. EBMUD’s Risk Management Division investigates and settles liability claims against the district. This request is separate from reporting the original leak or asking about the repair schedule.

Water Use, Rebates, and Quality Information

The EBMUD conservation and rebates page offers tools for household and business water use, high-bill troubleshooting, and water-efficient landscaping. Its Water Report tools allow customers to track use, set leak alerts, and receive recommendations for reducing their bills.

Rebate categories include landscape, plumbing, and technology upgrades. EBMUD also identifies a flowmeter rebate of up to $200. Review the relevant rebate information before proceeding with an upgrade so that the project matches the program you intend to use. Multifamily property owners and management companies have dedicated water efficiency resources.

Virtual rebate office hours are scheduled on the first and third Tuesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. The conservation section also provides gardening videos, webinars, publications, permanent outdoor watering rules, and a water waste reporting option.

Water Quality Reports and Pressure Requests

EBMUD identifies Sierra Nevada snowmelt as its primary water source. Its customer information provides annual water quality reports in English, Chinese, and Spanish, along with water quality data and information about treatment, lead, disinfection byproducts, and PFAS.

Water pressure questions have separate request channels, including a water pressure information request form and a Fire Service Flow and Pressure Request. These serve a different purpose from reporting an outage or investigating a high bill. Select the form that fits the property or fire service question.

Development and Wastewater Service Requests

The EBMUD Development Services page handles new or modified water service and fire service for development projects. It provides access to a new water service application, service cost information, regulatory reviews, and water service regulations. This is the appropriate section for a project requiring a new or changed connection rather than a routine customer account transfer.

Backflow and Private Sewer Laterals

Backflow occurs when water in a plumbing system reverses direction. If that system connects to nonpotable materials, the reversal can contaminate the public supply. EBMUD explains that state code requires backflow preventers on some private plumbing systems. People seeking to perform testing must apply to become an EBMUD-approved backflow tester.

Development and wastewater information also addresses private sewer laterals. EBMUD directs property owners to information about their responsibility to repair old or cracked sanitary sewer pipes. A private sewer lateral issue is distinct from a drinking water leak on either side of a water meter.

Commercial Discharges and Odor Reports

EBMUD’s wastewater services include commercial and industrial sewer permits, pollution prevention programs, discharge requirements, and commercial waste handling information. Businesses should use those wastewater procedures for discharge questions rather than the residential water account process.

Wastewater odor complaints can be submitted through the district’s odor report form or its Odor Control Hotline. The hotline appears separately in the office list below because an odor report follows a different channel from a water main emergency.

Customer Contact and Office Information

The official EBMUD contact page provides a nonurgent inquiry form with fields for a topic, first and last name, email, telephone number, account number, service address, city, and comment. The required fields are marked on the form. Include the account number and service address when relevant to help identify the account or property involved.

EBMUD states that a Customer Service Representative will respond to nonurgent form inquiries within three business days. Customers can also email customerservice@ebmud.com. For telephone accessibility, hearing-impaired customers may dial 711 and provide EBMUD’s telephone number.

The contact page provides the administrative street address and a separate mailing address. Bill payments have their own Payment Center destination through the payment page, so the administrative mailing address should not be substituted for the bill payment address. Customers planning an office visit can use the administrative office directions provided by EBMUD.

EBMUD Offices and Telephone Contacts

EBMUD Administration
375 11th Street
Oakland, CA 94607-4240
Mailing address: P.O. Box 24055 MS 42, Oakland, CA 94623-1055
Phone: 1-866-403-2683

EBMUD Odor Control Hotline
Phone: 510-287-1522

EBMUD FAQs

What if a neighbor’s leak threatens my property?

First, let your neighbor know about the leak so they can address it. If you cannot reach them and believe the escaping water could damage your property or someone else’s, EBMUD’s guidance on neighboring property leaks allows you to request that their meter be turned off. EBMUD evaluates the situation before acting. If the leak is severe or could cause damage, and the neighbor is unaware or cannot be reached, the district will shut off the water and leave a note explaining what happened.

How does EBMUD protect creeks during leaks?

EBMUD disinfects drinking water with chloramine, a combination of chlorine and ammonia. Although it helps keep drinking water safe for people, chloramine can harm fish when leaking water enters a creek. During pipe breaks and broken hydrant incidents, EBMUD uses fabric mats containing treatment tablets to remove chloramine before the released water reaches storm drains, nearby streams, or the Bay. These controls address the environmental effects of a leak while crews work on the repair.

Can I rely on translated EBMUD instructions?

Use automated translations carefully when following account instructions or reviewing service requirements. EBMUD states that its official website text is in English and that the English version governs interpretation. Automated translation may leave out text within images, maps, captioned videos, attachments, and outside applications. If a translated instruction seems incomplete, compare it with the English page before submitting a request.

Where can I raise an accessibility concern?

If you believe you were denied access to an EBMUD public resource or process because of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability, use the Public Accessibility section linked from EBMUD’s official customer information page. That section is the district’s designated starting point for these concerns, rather than its routine billing or water emergency information.