Cal Water Secures $83 Million in Additional State Funding to Relieve Customers of Past-Due Balances Accumulated During Pandemic
10 April 2024 - 6:15AM
With financial impacts of COVID-19 felt by California Water Service
(Cal Water) customers well past the height of the pandemic, Cal
Water applied for and has received more than $83.0 million through
the California Extended Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment
Program (Extended Program) to relieve residential and commercial
customers of past-due balances incurred during the pandemic.
The Extended Program, administered by the State
Water Resources Control Board, enables water suppliers to apply for
financial support on behalf of customers. Cal Water first secured
more than $20.8 million about two years ago through the original
Water & Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program (Original Program)
for past-due balances incurred by residential and commercial
customers between March 4, 2020, and June 15, 2021. Through the
Extended Program, past-due debt incurred between June 16, 2021, and
December 31, 2022, became eligible.
Cal Water will apply credits to affected customers’
accounts in the second quarter of 2024. Customers across all of Cal
Water’s service areas will be notified directly if a credit will be
applied to their accounts.
Customers with remaining balances that pre-date the
pandemic or were accrued after the Extended Program benefit period
ended in 2022 may still take advantage of Cal Water’s various
interest- and penalty-free payment plans or extensions, subject to
certain terms and conditions, to help prevent them from being
subject to potential disruptions in water service in the future.
Income-eligible customers may also enroll in Cal Water’s Customer
Assistance Program, which provides qualifying lower-income
customers a discount on their monthly service charge.
“We wanted to apply for these funds to help
customers impacted by the pandemic,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki,
Cal Water Chairman & CEO. “We appreciate the funding provided
by the State of California to help ease our customers’ burden, and
we also encourage any customers who are still struggling
financially to take advantage of our numerous assistance programs.
We are here to help.”
In total, Cal Water has secured $103,875,186
through the Original and Extended Programs on behalf of its
customers from the State Water Resources Control Board using
federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
About California Water Service
California Water Service provides high-quality,
reliable water utility services to more than 2 million people
statewide through 496,400 service connections. Cal Water’s purpose
is to enhance the quality of life for customers and communities. To
do so, it invests responsibly in water and wastewater
infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, and community
well-being. The company’s 1,100+ employees live by a set of
strong core values and share a commitment to protecting the planet,
caring for people, and operating with the utmost
integrity. The utility has been named one of “America’s Most
Responsible Companies” and the “World’s Most Trustworthy Companies”
by Newsweek and a Great Place to Work®, and is ranked No. 1 in
Customer Satisfaction Among Large Water Utilities in the West
Region* by J.D. Power. More information is available
at www.calwater.com.
*California Water Service received the highest
score in the West Large segment of the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Water
Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study of customers’
satisfaction nationally among water customers in the US. Visit
jdpower.com/awards for more details.
Contact:Yvonne Kingman, 310-257-1434
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