Fighting for Your Property Rights and Values
Latest News
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Oppose SB 1417 – Protect Mutual Water Company Shareholder Privacy
Dear Shareholder, We are asking for your immediate help regarding SB 1417 (Pérez), legislation now moving through the California Legislature that would significantly weaken existing privacy protections for mutual water company shareholders. Current California law protects shareholder information held by mutual water companies. SB 1417 would reverse those protections by requiring companies to disclose shareholder contact information upon request to a broad range of individuals and government officials. As currently written, the bill contains no meaningful restrictions on how your private information may later be used or distributed. The bill has already passed the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and is advancing quickly. The next several days are critical. We respectfully urge you to contact the bill’s authors and your own legislators and ask them to either: Vote NO on SB 1417, or Amend the bill to include meaningful privacy safeguards and limits on disclosure and use of your information. Key Concerns with SB 1417 As drafted, the bill would: Require mutual water companies to provide shareholder contact information in digital form upon request; Expand access to shareholder records beyond existing law; Eliminate current statutory protections against disclosure of shareholder information; Provide no clear restrictions on political, commercial,…
Recent News
Victory in the Senate — But the Fight Isn’t Over
California’s mutual water companies scored an important legislative win on May 14 when the state Senate Appropriations Committee defeated Senate Bill 1291 (Gonzalez). The bill would have imposed costly new requirements on member systems that duplicated programs already being carried…
Pizza doxxing and SB1417
Last Sunday, 60 Minutes revealed a chilling new tactic being used to intimidate federal judges: pizza doxxing. California through SB1417, is about to write that tactic into state law aimed at community volunteer water board members. Strangers order unsolicited pizzas…
Wrong-Sizing California — The problem the State won’t admit.
by Adán Ortega Jr. “Same laws. Same regulations. Wildly different capacity to absorb them.” I’ve sat in boardrooms where billion-dollar budgets are debated about drinking water. I’ve also sat in cramped community meeting halls where a small water system operator…
DISASTER INFORMATION TASKFORCE
Welcome to Small Water System Warriors
You own a share of your water company — and that ownership comes with rights most people never know they have.
Mutual water companies serve millions of Californians, yet shareholders are routinely left out of the conversations that shape their water future. Legislative proposals, state consolidation proceedings, and regulatory mandates can change the terms of your ownership — often without notice, and sometimes without recourse.
Small Water System Warriors was built to change that.
Know Your Rights: A Resource for Mutual Water Company Shareholders
Our Know Your Rights resource explains what California law guarantees you as a water shareholder — including your rights to notice, participation, and legal challenge in proceedings that affect your company, your water supply, and the value of your shares.
OWNERSHIP RIGHTS
What your shares entitle you to under California law
CONSOLIDATION PROCEEDINGS
How to participate when the SWRCB reviews your system
LEGISLATIVE THREATS
Bills that could affect your company and what you can do
RATE & SERVICE PROTECTIONS
Your due process protections
Stay Informed — Sign Up for Alerts
When legislation moves that could affect mutual water companies or small water systems, you deserve to know — before the vote, not after. Sign up to receive timely alerts on:
- State legislation affecting mutual water companies and small systems
- SWRCB consolidation proceedings and regulatory actions
- Shareholder rights updates and legal developments
- Opportunities to testify, comment, or take action
- Disaster preparedness and water system resilience resources
To sign up for alerts, visit smallwatersystemwarriors.com/contact or contact the Disaster Information Taskforce directly. Your information will never be shared with state agencies or consolidation-interested vendors.
About SWSW: Small Water System Warriors is a shareholder rights initiative of the Disaster Information Taskforce, the California Association of Mutual Water Companies. We are independent advocates — not affiliated with any state agency, or water authority.
FAQ
Who is this site For?
This website is designed for:
Shareholders of mutual water companies
Homeowners served by small water systems
Property owners concerned about value and access
Residents in disaster-impacted communities
Local officials and policymakers seeking accurate context
Journalists covering water governance and disaster response
If you rely on a mutual water company, water governance directly affects your home, your land, and your financial security.
What Are Our Water Rights (As Related to Mutuals?)
Water rights in California are complex — but at the local level, they often determine whether a property has legal access to potable water.
For mutual water companies:
Shareholders collectively own the system
Water access is tied to property or shares
Governance is controlled by a board elected by shareholders
Infrastructure decisions affect both access and cost
Water access is not simply a service — it is often an attached property interest.
Know Your Rights
Who Controls Water Access?
In a mutual system:
The board of directors governs operations
Policies determine new connections or service limitations
Infrastructure capacity influences development
Regulatory compliance shapes cost and upgrades
Understanding governance structure is critical for shareholders.
How Do Water Decisions Affect Residents and Property Owners?
Water decisions can influence:
Building permits
Insurance eligibility
Property marketability
Home refinancing
Development restrictions
Long-term property value
Transparency in governance protects shareholder equity.
How Do Water Decisions Affect Property Values?
Reliable water access is foundational to:
Appraised property value
Mortgage underwriting
Title security
Development feasibility
Changes in service capacity, connection policy, or governance can materially impact property valuation.
How Does Water Availability Affect Land Use, Development & Restrictions?
Water availability directly affects:
Subdivision approvals
Lot splits
ADU permits
Rebuilding after disaster
Density allowances
Land use and water governance are legally intertwined.
Water from Mutual Water Companies is not just a utility service.
It is a property right. It is a community asset. It is foundational to homeownership, land value, and local governance.
About SWSW
Small Water System Warriors (SWSW) is an informational and community-centered initiative supported by water utility leaders committed to responsible governance and disaster resilience.
We operate in alignment with the Small Water Systems Disaster Information Task Force, a coalition of experienced water utility leaders formed to communicate accurate information about domestic water systems impacted by disasters and to correct erroneous public narratives.
Our Mission
Our mission is to restore resilience to small water systems and the communities they serve by providing truthful, documented, and shareholder-focused information about water rights, property rights, and local governance.
Our Work
Our work is grounded in documented impacts to property access, governance, and long-term value. We believe informed communities are resilient communities.
History of Mutual Water Companies in California
California’s explosive growth following the Gold Rush found new settlers, farmers, and landowners without any public water infrastructure. In an arid climate, water access was not a convenience — it was survival. Early Californians responded as communities often do in the absence of government support: they cooperated. Groups of landowners pooled their resources to finance and build irrigation ditches, wells, and pipelines themselves. Water rights and access were often tied directly to land ownership, creating an inseparable link between property and water that would shape California law for generations.
Small Water Systems Disaster Information Task Force
The Small Water Systems Disaster Information Task Force is comprised of water utility leaders from high risk areas.
The mission of the Small Water Systems DI is simple – Restoring resilience to disaster impacted water utilities and the communities they serve.
The inaugural focus includes issues surrounding the Eaton Fire and impacts to small water utilities in the Altadena community