LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA – At the Lafayette Reservoir, there’s the serene beauty of nature, the swooping of a heron…and construction equipment!
Right now, there’s a ton of work happening at the reservoir. And it’s only going to get more intense as the year goes on.
If you’ve gone for a walk recently and seen fences concealing equipment–or people cutting big trenches in the ground–that’s the first project EBMUD has planned for the year.
The most visible “right now” work is tied to EBMUD’s Wastewater Collection System Improvements inside the Lafayette Reservoir Recreation Area (3849 Mt. Diablo Blvd.). EBMUD says the project replaces aging wastewater infrastructure that serves facilities like restrooms and support buildings, with construction planned from fall 2025 through fall 2026.
What that includes, per EBMUD:
- Replacing the sanitary sewer lift station and associated piping
- Adding a backup generator and fuel tank
- Adding a radio tower for system communications
- Some site work such as replacing a portion of a retaining wall
The reservoir is still very much open. But you’ll see lots of crews working in the road around the Visitor’s Center and near the dam.
And there’s an even bigger project on the way. The major headline project is the Lafayette Reservoir Tower seismic upgrade. EBMUD says it will shorten the tower by 40 feet (to fit the dam height) and reinforce related infrastructure to meet modern seismic standards, with the project approved by the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD).
The tower is not just decorative — it functions as the dam’s spillway and is described by EBMUD as the only safe method to drain the reservoir, with DSOD categorizing downstream risk as “extremely high.”
It’s a controversial move. But it does seem to be moving ahead later this year. That will likely result in periodic closures of the whole reservoir. Make sure to join our free 925 News newsletter so we can update you when we have dates for those.
And there’s another “ripple effect” at the reservoir, also having to do with water (see what we did there?) Separate from the Reservoir loop trails, EBMUD also says a 0.3-mile segment of the Walter Costa Trail that passes through the Lafayette Water Treatment Plant property has been closed since September 2025 for the duration of maintenance and improvement projects at the plant. Detours are routed along nearby streets with signage posted at key access points.
So it’s a busy year at Lafayette’s most visible park! Again, join our newsletter so we can share construction updates at EBMUD sends them to us.
