Oakland sits entirely within East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) territory. Every residential and commercial project that adds or modifies water service goes through EBMUD’s Development Services office at 375 11th Street, Oakland. We handle that process from the first hydraulic demand calculation to final plan check approval, out of our office at 3206 Hannah Street in West Oakland.
Our civil engineers in Oakland have coordinated water service for schools, affordable housing, and commercial infill across the city. The work looks different on every project because Oakland’s water mains vary in age, size, and pressure. A main in the flatlands carries different pressure characteristics than infrastructure serving the hills, and the design has to account for that from the start.
EBMUD Service Requirements for New Projects
Before we can size a meter or design a service lateral, the project has to establish its connection point on the public water main. EBMUD requires that a property have “principal frontage on a public water main” to receive service. If the existing main doesn’t reach the frontage, the project requires a water main extension of at least 10 feet beyond the property line before service installation can proceed.
EBMUD handles main installations up to 999 feet. Projects requiring more than 1,000 feet of new main become the applicant’s responsibility to design and construct. That distinction matters for project feasibility and budget, and it’s worth knowing before the design gets far along.
EBMUD’s online service application covers domestic, commercial, irrigation, dual service, private fire service, public hydrant, and water main extension requests. Questions about fees and scheduling go to EBMUD’s New Business Office: (510) 287-1008 or nbo@ebmud.com, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meter Sizing
Meter sizing drives early design decisions. The domestic meter has to cover peak demand without creating pressure loss that drops residual pressure at fixtures below the minimum required by code. We size meters using hydraulic demand calculations that account for fixture units, simultaneous use, and the static pressure available at the main.
For single-family residences and individually-metered multifamily projects, EBMUD requires dual service, combining domestic and fire protection in a single connection. Commercial properties and other multifamily configurations need a separate dedicated fire service connection. Getting that determination right early avoids redesigns when the fire marshal reviews the building permit set.
A will-serve letter from EBMUD is often one of the first documents a project needs for entitlement. That letter may carry conditions, including main extension requirements or offsite improvements. We help clients understand what those conditions mean for schedule and cost before they’re too far into design.
Fire Service Design and Hydraulic Analysis
Separate fire service follows a parallel track. Once a project requires dedicated fire service, EBMUD completes its own hydraulic analysis of the distribution system and provides flow and pressure information to use as the basis for fire service sizing. We submit the Fire Service Request form, coordinate the EBMUD analysis, and build our hydraulic model from their data.
Our fire flow studies include on-site hydrant flow testing, hydraulic modeling using EPANET, available-versus-required flow comparisons, and PE-stamped reports formatted for the fire marshal and Oakland Bureau of Building. The same engineer who sizes the domestic water system carries the fire service design, so the two work off a consistent set of assumptions.
From Application to Plan Check Approval
Our process covers the full sequence:
- – Site assessment and existing water system review
- – Hydraulic demand calculations for domestic and fire service
- – Pressure analysis confirming adequate residual pressure at all fixtures
- – Meter sizing and service lateral design
- – Coordination with EBMUD’s New Business Office on the service application
- – PE-stamped drawings and calculations formatted for Oakland Bureau of Building plan check
- – Plan check response support through approval
We include domestic water as part of our broader site development sets, which carry grading, drainage, sewer, and water on a single coordinated package. Splitting those disciplines across separate engineers creates coordination gaps that show up in plan check comments.
Calichi holds SLBE certification through the City of Oakland, Alameda County, OUSD, and the Port of Oakland. For public agency and school district projects where local business participation matters, that certification applies.
Start a Conversation
Call us at (510) 250-7877 or stop by our office at 3206 Hannah Street in West Oakland. If you’re working on an Oakland project and need domestic water design, a will-serve letter, or a fire flow study, we can tell you what EBMUD’s process looks like for your site and scope.