Commercial Plumber in Danville, CA

A Property Manager’s Guide to Plumbing in Danville

EBMUD water, Central San sewer

The Town of Danville doesn’t run a water or sewer utility. Its own utilities directory lists the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) for water and the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) for wastewater collection and treatment. Add their numbers to your building’s emergency contacts:

• EBMUD emergency dispatch, 24/7: 1-866-403-2683, for a water main break, a hit hydrant or heavy water flow.
• Central San sewer spills: (925) 933-0990. Permit questions: (925) 229-7371.

Side sewers and Central San permits

Central San maintains the public mains; the property owner is responsible for the side sewer from the building to the main, including the pipe that connects to the main. When fixtures back up while no water is in use, the main may be the problem, so call Central San first. If the stoppage turns out to be in its main, Central San may reimburse part of the plumber’s bill.

Central San’s rules for the private side:

• Permit first. A Central San sewer permit is needed before any exterior sewer work starts, on or off the property, including trenching. Repair permits are trade-specific, and the contractor must be registered with Central San.
• Inspections: request them on the inspection hotline, (925) 229-7373, at least 24 hours ahead.
• Cleanout and overflow device: a building sewer cleanout within 2 feet of the foundation, and an overflow protection device on every structure connected to sewer. A property-line cleanout generally isn’t required.
• No point-of-sale rule: Central San encourages a lateral inspection before a sale but doesn’t require one.

For new construction and additions, the Town’s outside agency checklist requires Central San approval before you submit for a building permit. See commercial sewer repair.

Restaurants: Central San’s grease rules

Central San decides case by case whether a food business needs a grease trap or interceptor, based on the type and volume of business, kitchen fixtures and menu. Designs need District approval before a new or remodeled kitchen connects, and an existing business told to add one has up to 100 days. District Code §10.32.035 sets the maintenance minimums:

• Interceptors: cleaned at least every 90 days, pumping out all liquids and solids.
• Grease traps: cleaned on the manufacturer’s schedule, and pumped by a licensed, permitted hauler at least every 90 days.
• 25% rule: grease and solids must stay below 25% of the unit’s capacity.
• No decanting and no additives: hauled waste can’t go back into the unit, and enzymes, microbes and chemicals are prohibited in traps and interceptors.
• Records: document maintenance and the disposal site; Central San’s fact sheet says to keep records on site for 3 years.

Dishwashers and food waste disposers must not drain to a grease trap. Questions go to Central San’s Environmental Compliance line, (925) 229-7288. Scheduled hydro jetting keeps kitchen lines open between pumpings.

Backflow testing with EBMUD

EBMUD’s inspectors decide which sites need a backflow assembly, for example where a site has a well or other auxiliary supply, or where the water system connects to fire services, boilers, cooling towers or booster pumps. The customer installs, tests and maintains the assembly at its own cost. Tests are annual, done by a tester on EBMUD’s approved list, and the form goes back within 30 days of the notice. Missing tests can lead to fines and shutoff of water service. We install and repair the assemblies these rules require; see backflow preventers.

Town of Danville permits and inspections

The Building Division at 500 La Gonda Way, (925) 314-3330, issues permits for properties within the Town. Projects that involve plumbing, electrical or mechanical work need a permit, and the Town’s FAQ lists adding or replacing water heaters among them. Most commercial and encroachment permits go through the online permit portal (danville.ca.gov/CSS); licensed contractors can apply there, with an account. The 2025 California codes took effect on January 1, 2026.

For a tenant improvement or a new business, the Town’s Business Concierge helps with building permits and submittal requirements and can identify which outside agencies’ permits apply, and its Engineering concierge handles encroachment permits for work in the public right-of-way. Request inspections at (925) 314-3333 or online before 3 p.m. for the next business day; changes and cancellations are by phone only.

Water heaters: soft water and MCE programs

Danville is served by EBMUD’s Walnut Creek treatment plant, which treats Pardee Reservoir water; it measured 15–21 ppm hardness (about 1 grain per gallon) in the 2025 water quality report. That’s very soft, so scale builds up slowly compared with hard-water areas.

Inspection is where water heater jobs most often stall. The Town’s water heater checklist lists the common final-inspection problems: seismic bracing, relief valves installed to their listing, a #8 bare copper bond wire joining the hot, cold and gas lines, drain pans where a leak would cause damage, combustion air openings, and expansion tanks on closed systems.

Danville has been an MCE member community since 2018. MCE offers commercial customers rebates for upgrades that include water heating, plus custom incentives for larger projects. Check current terms with MCE before you plan a replacement. See commercial water heaters.

Sources

Town of Danville: Utilities directory · Permit Center, commercial · Permit FAQs · Online permit portal instructions · Inspections · Water heater requirements (PDF) · Outside agency checklist (PDF) · Business Concierge Center. Central San: Contact us · Residents FAQs · Sewer repairs · Permit FAQs · District Code Title 10 · Grease trap fact sheet. EBMUD: Contact us · Backflow prevention · 2025 water quality report. MCE: Areas we serve · Commercial energy savings. Checked October 2026.