California’s Regulated Water Utilities Invested More Than $645 Million on Needed Infrastructure in 2017

Companies Are Committed to Improving Reliability of California’s
Water Supply

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#CWA–California’s largest regulated water utilities invested more than $645
million in 2017 into improving and upgrading the infrastructure that
delivers water to the communities they serve, according to an analysis
by the California Water Association (CWA).

CWA represents 100 water utilities regulated by the California Public
Utilities Commission, serving 6 million people in California. The
largest regulated water utilities include California American Water,
California Water Service Company, Golden State Water Company, Great Oaks
Water Company, Liberty Utilities, San Gabriel Valley Water Company, San
Jose Water Company and Suburban Water Systems.

“Regulated water utilities are dedicated to delivering a reliable and
safe water supply for customers,” said CWA Executive Director Jack
Hawks. “A critical part of making that happen is to continually invest
in and properly maintain the systems that extract and produce, treat and
deliver water to homes and businesses.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers in its 2017 Infrastructure
Report Card notes that there are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks
per year in the United States, wasting over 2 trillion gallons of
treated drinking water. And, according to the American Water Works
Association, an estimated $1 trillion is necessary to maintain and
expand drinking water service to meet nationwide demands over the next
25 years.

Some of the infrastructure improvements made by the state’s water
utilities regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
in 2017 include:

• California Water Service Company (approximately 519,000 service
  connections throughout the state) invested $250.6 million in 2017.
  This investment included replacing more than 23.7 miles of water
  mains, installing 16 generators and constructing three tanks, one
  groundwater well and four booster pump stations.
• Golden State Water Company (approximately 261,000 service
  connections throughout the state) invested approximately $110 million
  for infrastructure projects in 2017. Key projects included more than
  $65 million to replace approximately 39 miles of aging pipes
  throughout its 38 water systems, more than $4.3 million to address
  water supply, treatment and distribution needs in the drought-stricken
  Los Osos and Santa Maria service areas, and nearly $750,000 to install
  state-mandated water meters in the Arden and Cordova water systems
  near Sacramento.
• San Jose Water Company (approximately 224,000 service
  connections in Santa Clara County) invested approximately $140 million
  in its water system in 2017. This amount included $20 million to
  retrofit its Montevina Water Treatment Plant, one of the primary water
  supply sources for the Town of Los Gatos and surrounding communities.
  The retrofit involved adding a new step to the treatment process,
  replacing old sand filtration with ultra-filtration membranes, and
  other needed upgrades.
• California American Water (approximately 188,000 service
  connections throughout the state), invested nearly $88.1 million
  throughout its districts statewide in 2017. Projects included
  replacing and improving water mains, construction of new storage
  reservoirs and new water treatment facilities to improve water quality
  and meet new regulations.
• San Gabriel Valley Water Company (approximately 104,000 service
  connections in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties), invested
  $19.9 million in its two divisions in 2017 for infrastructure
  improvements, including a new groundwater well and a water storage
  reservoir, as well as more than 12 miles of new water mains.
• Suburban Water Systems (approximately 76,000 service
  connections in Los Angeles County), invested more than $16 million in
  2017. This included the investment of approximately $5.7 million to
  prepare the site for three above-ground steel reservoirs, which
  included the construction of retaining walls, the tallest being
  17-feet high.
• Liberty Utilities (approximately 52,000 service connections in
  San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties), invested more than $19.6
  million in its Apple Valley and Los Angeles County service areas,
  including replacing more than four miles of water pipeline at a cost
  of $3.7 million in Apple Valley.
• Great Oaks Water Company (approximately 21,500 service
  connections in Santa Clara County), invested approximately $1.5
  million in 2017, adding scheduled improvements to its water supply
  sources and distribution system. Great Oaks also added significant
  improvements to its water system control and data acquisition
  capabilities that will produce immediate efficiency and conservation
  benefits.

“The challenges of delivering a dependable and safe water supply to
California’s communities, especially those that are disadvantaged, is a
hot topic under debate by legislators, regulators and water providers,”
Hawks said. “One of the benefits of being served by a regulated water
utility are the systems in place through the CPUC to ensure adequate
investment in water systems so that communities are protected.”

Find more information about CWA and its members at www.calwaterassn.com.

Contacts

California Water Association
Jack Hawks, 415-561-9650 (o)
415-305-4393
(c)
Executive Director
[email protected]