Investing to maintain and upgrade aging water and wastewater systems is critical for providing safe and reliable service. In 2024, California American Water invested $162 million in the communities we serve to replace aging pipes, provide more storage and flow for fire protection, and other essential equipment. System improvement highlights for 2024 include:

·         Water Mains: $47 million to improve system reliability.

·         Fire Hydrants: $2.7million investment to improve safety and firefighting needs.

·         Service Lines: $7.4 million to improve water accessibility.

·         Water Treatment and Production System Improvements: $46 million to enhance water safety and reliability.

·         Tanks/Storage: $6 million to ensure enough supply for future needs.

It can be difficult for water and wastewater systems to keep up with ever-increasing health and environmental regulations. Our team of water quality experts is at the forefront of research and compliance, working closely with regulators as new standards and treatment techniques are developed. We perform more than 136,000 water quality tests, monitoring for over 200 components, each year so that our water and wastewater systems consistently meet or surpass all state and federal standards.  
 
We work closely with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state authorities to provide water that meets and exceeds federal and state safety standards. Our water performs 10 times better than the industry average when it comes to meeting EPA drinking water requirements. 

Many municipalities face numerous priorities that place a constraint on financial resources. The sale of water and wastewater systems can generate new revenue while eliminating future costs and liabilities of the systems. Net proceeds of the sale can be reinvested in the community to provide parks, streets and sidewalks, public safety, economic development, and fund pension liabilities. In addition to the sale proceeds, as a private business we also pay taxes each year that support schools and other local services.

Water and wastewater is what we do. Our full-time professional staff has the operational and technical expertise needed to efficiently manage water and wastewater systems of any size. In addition to our more than 320 employees in California, we also have access to shared American Water resources and issue experts that allow us to stay on top of industry challenges. We take great pride in hiring employees in the communities we serve and offer competitive wages and benefits.

At California American Water, we believe fresh, clean water is a resource that should be made available to everyone. That’s why we developed our Customers Assistance Program to provide assistance to families undergoing financial hardship. 

With this program, eligible water and wastewater customers can apply for a monthly discount of 25 to 35 percent on their charges. If your household meets the necessary requirements, assistance will be provided in the form of a monthly discount on your water or wastewater charges. Click here to learn more. 

We care about the communities we serve and are active in supporting local civic and charitable activities through financial contributions and volunteer hours. In 2024, we donated more than $600,000 to Californian communities through the American Water Charitable Foundation and our local state community support fund.

We’re committed to delivering value to our customers and the communities we serve by keeping our rates as low as possible while providing quality service. Because of our tremendous experience, industry expertise, and size, we’re able to maximize efficiencies through economies of scale, from our buying power to centralized business functions. Whether you’re concerned about operating costs or the rate impact of a big investment in your system, we’re happy to discuss how we can provide great value to your community.