East Bay Municipal Utility District and Kleinschmidt Associates Earn EBJ Award for Innovative Dam Breach Modeling

Project demonstrates how probabilistic analysis strengthens traditional dam safety methods

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES, February 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- East Bay Municipal Utility District, in collaboration with Kleinschmidt Associates, has received a 2025 Business Achievement Award from Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) in the Project Merit category, for advancing dam safety practice through innovative breach modeling.

The award recognizes the team’s work at Dike 2 at Camanche Reservoir, where probabilistic dam breach modeling was used to complement traditional deterministic methods. Dam breach modeling plays a critical role in life-safety planning and emergency preparedness, but deterministic approaches alone can overlook real-world uncertainty.

To address this, EBMUD and Kleinschmidt conducted thousands of dam breach simulations through a Monte Carlo framework to establish probabilities of flooding and downstream consequences. The analysis showed that earlier assumptions likely understated potential risks. Using these findings, the team recalibrated the deterministic model, establishing a more conservative and technically defensible basis for emergency planning, risk assessment, and regulatory communication.

“At EBMUD, we push beyond standard practice by applying science-based, probabilistic tools to better understand dam safety risks and plan more effectively for emergency preparedness as responsible dam owners and community partners,” said Priyanka Jain, Senior Civil Engineer at EBMUD. “We are honored by this recognition and proud to see our commitment to innovation reflected in this award."

“This recognition highlights how advanced analytical methods can meaningfully improve dam safety decision-making,” said Chris Goodell, Principal Consultant at Kleinschmidt. “By explicitly accounting for uncertainty, probabilistic analysis helps owners and regulators better understand risk and make more informed, transparent decisions.”

Each year, EBJ honors companies across the environmental industry for achievements in growth, innovation, technology, project merit, industry leadership, and social contribution.

“In a year of growth but some volatility for the $570-billion U.S. environmental industry in 2025, a number of companies distinguished themselves with business model evolution, new practices, technical innovation, M&A, or signature projects that merit the special recognition of an EBJ Business Achievement Award,” said Grant Ferrier, editor of Environmental Business Journal and chair of the EBJ Business Achievement Award selection committee.

The 2025 EBJ awards will be presented live and in-person at the EBJ Business Achievement Awards banquet at Environmental Industry Summit XXIV on April 1-3, 2026, in San Diego, along with CCBJ Business Achievement, Lifetime Achievement, and 50-Year Company anniversary awards.

About Kleinschmidt
Kleinschmidt Associates performs engineering, regulatory and environmental consulting for North American energy companies and governmental agencies who strive to protect and enhance the natural environment without compromising performance. We work at the intersection of regulatory requirements, environmental science, and engineering solutions to achieve our client’s objectives.

For over half a century, Kleinschmidt has continually delivered new ideas that offer practical solutions to tough problems and sensitive issues. Our goal is to bring energy, water, and the environment into balance so future generations will thrive. For more information, visit www.kleinschmidtgroup.com.

About East Bay Municipal Utility District
The East Bay Municipal Utility District has a proud history of providing high-quality drinking water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in northern California. EBMUD’s wastewater system serves 740,000 customers and helps protect the ecosystem of San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.

About Environmental Business Journal
The Environmental Business Journal has been published since 1988 by Environmental Business International Inc., an independent research and publishing company focused on the environmental and climate change industries.

* Environmental Business Journal^® provides strategic market intelligence to executives and investors in 13 business segments of the environmental industry, including environmental consulting & engineering, remediation & industrial services, water & wastewater equipment, air quality & pollution control equipment, hazardous waste management, resource recovery, solid waste management, water/wastewater infrastructure, renewable energy, and environmental instrumentation & information systems.

GinaRenee Autrey
Kleinschmidt Associates
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