Cal Water Applauds Passage of Important Water Conservation Bill SB 1469 (Bradford/Becker)

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California Water Service (Cal Water) today applauded passage of SB 1469 (Sens. Bradford, Becker), which would make permanent a proven program that has encouraged California water customers to reduce their water use and helped keep water bills low for all customers, particularly low-income customers. The bill now goes to Governor Newsom’s desk.

The bill has broad support among labor, business, consumer and environmental groups, low-income advocates, local governments, and many others who encourage the Governor to sign the bill.

The statement below can be attributed to Martin Kropelnicki, Cal Water’s President and CEO.

“SB 1469 is a major game changer that will increase water conservation efforts among water providers and customers alike. With more boom-and-bust water years, California should be doing everything possible to enact policies to help customers conserve. SB 1469 is smart policy that will improve conservation and increase California water supplies.”

“We especially want to thank Senators Bradford and Becker, whose hard work was critical to getting the bill to the Governor’s desk.”

“We urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 1469, as it fits squarely into his recently-released plan urging water regulators to focus not only on conservation, but on increasing water supply.”

Background:
Passage of SB 1469 gives water providers regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) a powerful tool that will allow them to focus more on conservation without the risk of not having the resources needed to safely operate their water systems.

SB 1469 allows these water suppliers to take advantage of a regulatory tool known as decoupling. Recognized as a regulatory best practice across the country, decoupling removes the linkage between water providers’ financial performance and the amount of water they sell. Instead of focusing on selling more water, utilities are able to turn their attention to expanding water conservation efforts and improving the safety and reliability of their water systems.

California Water Service serves approximately 2 million people through 494,500 customer connections in California. The utility has provided water service in the state since 1926. For more information, visit www.calwater.com.

Contact: Yvonne Kingman, 310-257-1434