John B. Reilley was part of the legal staff of EBMUD and contributed to the acquisition of water rights from the American River. Reilley was born and raised in Oakland, California and there he was exposed to water early on via his father's work as chief serviceman for the original East Bay Municipal Utility District. After graduating from Saint Mary's College he attended Berkeley Law (formerly known as Boalt) and received his J.D. in 1941. Following WWII, he worked in the Alameda County Public Defender's Office under Willard Shea and then moved on to the East Bay Municipal Utility District where he remained until his retirement in 1983. While at EBMUD, he worked on litigation and negotiation for Mokelumne River water, a contract with U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for American River water, EDF v. EBMUD, 1977-1990, and unionization and affirmative action. In this interview Reilley discusses his childhood and education in the East Bay, B.A. at St. Mary's College, WWII, the general counsel's office, reflections on board members and general managers, the California drought of 1976-77, and an overview of water law and environmental concerns. See also William R. Gianelli, Laurence W. Lane, Jr., Luna B. Leopold, Western Mining in the Twentieth Century, and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (Reagan Era Series) for more information on the following topic. This interview is part of a group of interviews documenting the East Bay Municipal Utility District.