Cal Water Files Updated Water Shortage Contingency Plan, Expands Conservation Program to Support Customers Amid Current Droug...
16 June 2021 - 8:30AM
As part of its drought management and response plan, California
Water Service (Cal Water) filed its updated Water Shortage
Contingency Plan (Schedule 14.1) with the California Public
Utilities Commission yesterday and announced an expanded
conservation program to help customers reduce their water use.
Cal Water is currently in Stage 1 of Schedule 14.1, which
includes penalties for violating prohibited uses of water
established during the last historic drought. The prohibited uses
of water include:
- Applying water to outdoor landscapes that causes runoff onto
adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public
walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures
- Using a hose to wash motor vehicles unless the hose is fitted
with a shutoff nozzle or device that causes it to cease dispensing
water immediately when not in use
- Applying water to driveways and sidewalks
- Using water in a fountain or other decorative water feature,
except where the water is part of a recirculating system
- Applying water to outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours
after measurable rainfall
- Using potable water to irrigate outside of new construction
without drip or microspray systems
- Irrigating outdoors between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., unless local
ordinances state otherwise
- Not repairing leaks within five days of notification
Restaurants may also only serve water upon request, and hotels
and motels must offer the option to opt out of daily linen and
towel washing services.
While the first violation will typically result in a warning,
subsequent violations may carry monetary penalties or restriction
of service. Cal Water does not currently plan to implement water
budgets in 2021 as part of its drought response, but will continue
to monitor local conditions to determine if further steps are
needed.
Additionally, Cal Water has doubled rebate amounts offered for
large high-efficiency devices such as toilets, urinals, and clothes
washers. Full rebate details and qualifying products are listed on
the utility’s web site. Cal Water also offers:
- Free conservation kits with high-efficiency plumbing retrofit
devices for residential customers
- Rebates for outdoor
irrigation devices
- Educational
resources
- A Smart Landscape Tuneup Program that
includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of
approved efficient devices and repair of most irrigation system
leaks at no cost
Cal Water expects to launch a drip system conversion rebate and
relaunch its turf replacement program, created during the previous
drought, later this summer.
“Our customers answered the call to conserve water during the
last drought, and we look forward to working with them to reduce
their water use again this year,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki,
President and CEO. “We hope that we will be able to achieve
necessary water savings through voluntary conservation efforts; we
will continue to monitor conditions in each of our service areas to
determine if additional actions are required.”
California Water Service serves about 2 million people through
492,600 service connections in California. The utility has provided
water service in the state since 1926. Additional information may
be obtained online at www.calwater.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 ("Act"). The forward-looking statements are intended to
qualify under provisions of the federal securities laws for "safe
harbor" treatment established by the Act. Forward-looking
statements are based on currently available information,
expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections, and
management's judgment about the Company, the water utility industry
and general economic conditions. Such words as would, expects,
intends, plans, believes, estimates, assumes, anticipates,
projects, predicts, forecasts or variations of such words or
similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
future performance. They are subject to uncertainty and changes in
circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from what is
contained in a forward-looking statement. Factors that may cause a
result different than expected or anticipated include, but are not
limited to: natural disasters, public health crises, pandemics,
epidemics or outbreaks of a contagious disease, such as the recent
outbreak of coronavirus (or COVID‐19), governmental and regulatory
commissions' decisions, including decisions on proper disposition
of property; consequences of eminent domain actions relating to our
water systems; changes in regulatory commissions' policies and
procedures; the timeliness of regulatory commissions' actions
concerning rate relief and other actions; changes in water quality
standards; changes in environmental compliance and water quality
requirements; electric power interruptions; housing and customer
growth trends; the impact of opposition to rate increases; our
ability to recover costs; availability of water supplies; issues
with the implementation, maintenance or security of our information
technology systems; civil disturbances or terrorist threats or
acts; the adequacy of our efforts to mitigate physical and cyber
security risks and threats; the ability of our enterprise risk
management processes to identify or address risks adequately; labor
relations matters as we negotiate with unions; changes in customer
water use patterns and the effects of conservation; the impact of
weather, climate, natural disasters, and diseases on water quality,
water availability, water sales and operating results, and the
adequacy of our emergency preparedness; and, other risks and
unforeseen events. When considering forward-looking statements, you
should keep in mind the cautionary statements included in this
paragraph, as well as the annual 10-K, Quarterly 10-Q, and other
reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC). The Company assumes no obligation to provide
public updates of forward-looking statements.
Contact: Yvonne Kingman, 310-257-1434
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