Recent News
Pasadena Now – Mutual Water Company Trade Group Launches Shareholder Rights Website as State Oversight Bills Advance
The effort targets Altadena, where fire-ravaged water cooperatives face new legislation on transparency and notice requirements Published on Thursday, May 7, 2026 Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures and gutted the customer base of Altadena’s three mutual water companies, a statewide trade group has launched…
Small Water System Leaders Launch Website for Mutual Water Company Shareholders in Altadena and Fire and Disaster Zones
ALTADENA, Calif., May 7, 2026 — The California Association of Mutual Water Companies’ Disaster Information Task Force has launched a website, SmallWaterSystemWarriors.com, with resources for community residents who are shareholders in mutual water companies. Mutual water companies are community-owned, nonprofit water utility cooperatives that often serve some of the smallest,…
Disaster Information Taskforce – Welcome to Small Water Systems Warriors
DISASTER INFORMATION TASKFORCE Welcome to Small Water Systems 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…
CalMutuals: Top Challenges Facing Mutual Water Companies in 2026
Each year during membership renewal, CalMutuals invites members to share their challenges. This year’s feedback echoed many of the same issues mutual water companies have faced for years. For 2026, member concerns are largely centered in three areas: Aging infrastructure remains the top issue, with many systems needing to repair…
Help in Completing Your Required Technical, Managerial, and Financial Assessment
California SB 1188 (August 2023) requires the SWRCB to create minimum technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) standards for small water systems (under 10,000 service connections). Once adopted, systems will have two years to show they meet the standards. The Board will likely start with requirements already used for funding assessments —…
Grant Opportunities: WaterSMART Funding Opportunities Now Available – Small Scale Water Efficiency Grants, Applied Science & Drought Response Program
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) announced new WaterSMART funding opportunities to help small water systems improve efficiency, plan for drought, and strengthen operations. Available programs include: Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects Opportunity #: R25AS00279Funds practical projects like leak repairs, meter upgrades, and water conservation.Deadline: June 2, 2026 Applied Science Grants Opportunity #: R25AS00280Supports tools, data, and studies…
Legislative & Regulatory Update March 2026
CalMutuals continues to track legislation affecting small water systems and to advocate for the needs and priorities of its members. The bills currently under consideration by state legislators, along with CalMutuals’ positions on each, are outlined below. CalMutuals has a formal SUPPORT position on the following bills: SB1001 (Archuleta). Water utility workers: identification card program.SB…
Charter Members Make Participation in DWR Small Supplier Conservation Assistance Program Possible for Bellflower Home Garden Mutual Water Company
Bellflower Home Garden Mutual Water Company is a small mutual water system in Bellflower serving approximately 1,200 residents through 375 unmetered connections. The company purchases 100% of its water from Bellflower Somerset Mutual Water Company and has no active wells, reservoirs, or emergency interconnections. Originally constructed in the 1920s–30s, the…
Legislative & Regulatory Update February 2026
As wildfires become more frequent and destructive across California, local water systems are facing growing legal and financial pressure, along with misunderstandings about their role during wildfire events. SB 1153 seeks to address these challenges by clarifying the role of water systems during wildfires and protecting customers and shareholders from rising litigation…
Grant Opportunities: Connect to Resources Through Your Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
Funding is a challenge that all mutual water companies share. Even our most diligent efforts to identify and save for needed improvements and emerging compliance demands often fall short of the resources required. In previewing funding available to support small water systems in 2026, CalMutuals noted that funds will be allocated…
Edison Targets Victims of Eaton Fire By Suing Their Community-Owned Water Systems
January 22, 2026, Altadena, California — On January 16, 2026, Southern California Edison and related entities filed a cross-complaint in the Eaton Fire litigation against various public entities and public and private community-owned water suppliers. Included among the cross-defendants were community-owned Lincoln Avenue Water Company and Rubio Cañon Land and…
Special Thanks: Operators Stepping Up
Through the CalMutuals-Department of Water Resources (DWR) Small Supplier Water Conservation Assistance Program, CalMutuals is supporting drought-vulnerable mutual water companies by installing residential meters and replacing inefficient toilets and showerheads. Funding provided by Gov. Gavin Newsom represents a meaningful state investment in small water systems that are often overlooked. A key…
Legislative & Regulatory Update January 2026
In November 2025, CalMutuals received a presentation from several of our Board members who also serve on the Public Water Agencies Group (PWAG), a coalition of 21 agencies focused on strengthening regional emergency preparedness. PWAG is taking a leading role in establishing a countywide, water-focused emergency management and mutual assistance…
Capitol Weekly Opinion: More Collaborative Operational Solutions for Affordable Water
California is unique in that our state policy recognizes the human right to water – a principle that every resident deserves safe, clean, affordable and accessible water. Yet affordability, the ability for families to pay their utility bills without sacrificing other basic needs like rent, food or medicine is increasingly…