EBMUD Completes Lafayette Reservoir Outlet Tower and Water Treatment Reliability Upgrades Serving Lamorinda

Structural and hydraulic engineers with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) have wrapped up their autumn sequence of seismic valve inspections, backup power tests, and filtration upgrades at Lafayette Reservoir and the nearby Lafayette Water Treatment Plant along Mt. Diablo Boulevard. Reviewed with the EBMUD Board of Directors and City of Lafayette officials in October 2026, the capital maintenance work fortifies the primary drinking-water lifeline serving Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Alamo, Danville, and Walnut Creek.

Constructed in 1933 and holding up to 1.4 billion gallons of high-quality water surrounded by 928 acres of protected oak and pine watershed hills, Lafayette Reservoir serves a dual regional mission: providing a cherished recreational centerpiece for Lamorinda families while functioning as an emergency standby water supply if a major earthquake or aqueduct outage interrupts snowmelt deliveries from the Mokelumne River watershed in the Sierra foothills.

During the October maintenance window—timed after peak summer water demand subsided and before winter rains arrive—EBMUD crews calibrated the reservoir's iconic white concrete outlet tower, tested high-capacity pumping interconnections feeding the Lafayette and Orinda water treatment plants, and verified automated pressure-reducing valves that serve hillside fire hydrants across Happy Valley, Reliez Valley, Burton Valley, and Moraga Canyon. Engineers confirmed that all work was completed without interrupting residential water service or closing the popular 2.7-mile paved Lakeside Nature Trail.

The Lafayette Reservoir Recreation Area at 3849 Mt. Diablo Boulevard remains open daily for walking, jogging, picnicking, and catch-and-release fishing following autumn trout plants. Lamorinda residents can inspect EBMUD capital improvement schedules, water-quality reports, and trail hours online at ebmud.com or by calling (866) 403-2683.