EBMUD begins drawing water from Sacramento River to relieve drought problems

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The East Bay Municipal Utility District announced it started a four-month long plan to draw 11 billion gallons of water from the Sacramento River as part of their drought response.

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The supplemental water supply means customers might notice a change in the characteristics of the water.

"We've planned and invested for decades to make our water supply resilient and now our plans are paying off," said EBMUD Board President Doug Linney. "Ensuring reliable water supplies requires a diverse water supply portfolio including conservation, recycled water, and use of supplemental supplies - we're doing it all."

The water transfer will lessen the need for mandatory water restrictions and rationing, according to East Bay MUD.

The utility's plan will last through February 2022.