A Ground-breaking New Wet Weather Consent Decree for East Bay Municipal Utility District and Its Satellite Communities

East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), headquartered in Oakland, CA, conveys and treats wastewater from seven “satellite” collection system agencies (six cities and one special district). Each satellite agency owns and operates its own separate sanitary sewer system, representing approximately 1,600 miles of public sewers. EBMUD operates three Peak Excess Flow Treatment Facilities (PEFTFs) to handle significant infiltration and inflow (I/I) entering the system during wet weather.In 2009, EBMUD was issued an NPDES permit prohibiting discharges from the PEFTFs. After several years of technical studies and negotiations, in September 2014, EBMUD and the seven satellite agencies entered a regional consent decree to eliminate discharges from the PEFTFs by 2036. This paper will describe the techniques used to balance a variety of needs in a complex regulatory and jurisdictional environment. It will be of interest to engineers, managers, and attorneys faced with wet weather flow challenges.