Berkeley's Water System and Emergency Response
Our Community’s Water System
The City of Berkeley's water comes from the regional supply into Berkeley where it is pumped into storage tanks in a series of independent zones where gravity naturally moves it from higher locations, like hills or reservoirs, to lower areas.
While droughts, wildfires, and other unpredictable events are a part of our state’s landscape, Berkeley’s water system continues to provide reliable service. The City owns and operates stormwater systems that collect rainwater and send it to the Bay through several outflows. The 2023 record-breaking storms helped boost the East Bay's water supply reservoir and our regional water supply to 82% full. You can get technical water supply data with a tool on East Bay Municipal Utility District’s (EBMUD) website.
Collaborating for a Resilient Water System and Firefighting Response
EBMUD manages and maintains the water system for Berkeley, including water for drinking and firefighting. The City works closely with EBMUD to ensure water system upgrades align with the City’s projects and needs. In addition, the City reviews, permits, and inspects EBMUD’s work in public spaces. Together, the City and EBMUD also collaborate on water conservation programs.
In some emergency situations, the regular water supply might be overwhelmed by demand. To address supply challenges, the Berkeley Fire Department added a specialized Water Tender Fire Engine to our fleet in 2024. This vehicle can transport 3,000 gallons of water to areas where water supplies are limited or unavailable. Designed to handle tough conditions, this enhances our ability to reach fires in remote or resource-constrained areas, ensuring faster response times and more effective firefighting in critical situations.
In the event that a water zone in the Berkeley hills is severely impacted due to firefighting, the department can pump water from a different, unaffected zone into the affected one. The department also maintains two truck mounted high-capacity pumps, along with miles of a large diameter hose. This system, known as the “Above Ground Water Supply,” can pump water directly from the bay to assist in firefighting efforts.
We continue to collaborate about local wildfire preparedness regularly with EBMUD, local fire departments, East Bay Regional Park District, and CAL FIRE. Click on their links to learn how each organization is contributing to reduce the wildfire risks across the Bay Area.
Take Control Before a Fire Starts: Plan and Prepare
Fire weather plans are even more important now as the severity and frequency of wildfires have increased. When the Berkeley Fire Department communicates rare days of "Extreme Fire Weather," we advise that hills residents make plans to leave early.
Leaving early not only allows for safe and clear roadways for firefighters and first responders. It also puts you in the most control of the situation and is the best way to ensure your safety.
Use our household’s fire weather plan to create your emergency plan so you’ll know how to respond to unpredictable and rapidly changing fire conditions. The guide will help you:
● Identify your trigger for leaving the hills
● Decide where you will go
● Identify evacuation routes
You can also use our Emergency Supply Checklist or the Wildfire Evacuation Checklist to inform your decision on what items you should pack when you need to leave your home. If you have a pet, use the Pet-Preparedness Checklist to help pack must-have items for your furry family member.
Be ready to stay or go in a disaster situation, start assembling your "Go Bag" or Disaster Supply Kit today. Include enough supplies to last at least three days (72 hours).
With a robust above-ground water system and new resources like the specialized Water Tender Fire Engine, Berkeley is reinforcing its infrastructure and encouraging residents to prepare for emergencies, ensuring the community's resilience in the face of climate change and wildfire risks.
Make your Property Wildfire Resilient
Increase your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire by creating defensible space—the buffer between a building on your property and anything combustible around it, including vegetation and combustible storage. This buffer reduces fire spread and provides firefighters an area to work in to defend your home during a fire.
To help you with this important work, visit our Defensible Space page. Berkeley residents can use City programs like the Chipper or Vegetation Bin service to help eliminate excess vegetation from March through December. In addition, if you have had a Defensible Space Inspection, see if you qualify for the Residence Assistance Program (RAP) to help address your property’s needs.
Together, we can reduce wildfire risks in Berkeley!