Preserving Our Water & Flowing Forward East Bay MUD, Chair Luz Gomez

Host Jared Asch interviews Luz Gomez, board chair of EastBay Municipal Utility District (East Bay MUD), about East Bay water and wastewater issues. Gomez explains East Bay MUD’s mission to provide high-quality, affordable water with environmental stewardship, its 100+ yearhistory, and major infrastructure including the 1927 Pardee Dam on the Mokelumne River and three 90-mile aqueducts nearing 100 years old that requirecement relining to prevent corrosion. She notes East Bay MUD serves 1.5 millionpeople with about 2,200 employees and seven elected directors. Conservation haslowered per-capita use, aided by low-flow fixtures and lawn-to-drought-tolerantconversions. She describes recycled water “purple pipe” partnerships (DURWA)and planned expansion with Central San. Gomez discusses statewide watervulnerability, climate-change impacts (algae blooms, silt from atmosphericrivers), capital upgrades to treatment plants, groundwater banking via theDREAM project, drought-transfer agreements, technology for leak/earthquakesensing, and advises residents to store a week of water for earthquakes and understand shydrants annually.