GIG HARBOR, Wash., Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) has issued a decision in Washington Water Service’s (Washington Water) application to adjust rates and recover costs for investments made to keep its East Pierce and Legacy water systems safe and reliable. The decision, which adopted the all-party settlement reached among Washington Water, WUTC staff, and the Public Counsel Unit of the Washington Attorney General’s Office, enables the California Water Service Group (Group) subsidiary to increase annual revenue by $4.1 million.
Washington Water made $26.5 million in improvements to its water systems from 2023 through 2024, the years covered in the application, to enhance service for its customers and local communities. Some of the major improvements included:
- Installing 1,000 feet of new water main in the Minterbrook system; 700 feet in Sunshine Acres; 2,500 feet in the Ranch Acres Shores system; 2,000 feet in Cedar Grove; 1,000 feet in Evergreen Shores; and 7,000 feet in the Southwood system to improve reliability and fire protection, and reduce potential leaks.
- Installing new treatment facilities to reduce lead and copper in the Heritage Row system, arsenic in the Quistorff system, and iron and manganese in the Southwood system.
- Upgrading booster pump stations in the Rosario, Cedar Crest, Artondale, Southwood, Olympic Mall, and Driftwood Valley systems.
- Deploying Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition remote system monitoring in the Sunshine Acres, Rosario, Mirrormont, Palmer Lake, and Southwood systems.
- Installing a new booster pumping facility to increase reliability and capacity in the Lost Creek zone of the Southwood system.
- Testing, constructing facilities, and treating for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in accordance with new water quality regulations.
“Protecting the health and safety of our customers is our highest priority, and improvements such as these help us provide high-quality, reliable drinking water for our customers,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki, Group Chairman and CEO. “We appreciate the WUTC enabling us to recover costs needed to keep delivering the quality, service, and value our communities deserve.”
Washington Water expects new rates to become effective in October 2026.
About California Water Service Group
California Water Service Group (NYSE: CWT) is the largest regulated water utility in the western United States. It provides high-quality, reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 2.2 million people in California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington, and Texas through its regulated subsidiaries, California Water Service, Hawaii Water Service, New Mexico Water Service, and Washington Water Service, and its utility holding company, TWSC, Inc. (Texas Water Service). This year, the company commemorates a century of service.
Group’s purpose is to enhance the quality of life for customers, communities, employees, and stockholders. To do so, it invests responsibly in water and wastewater infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, and community well-being. The company’s nearly 1,300 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 company has been named one of “America’s Most Responsible Companies” and the “World’s Most Trustworthy Companies” by Newsweek, a USA Top Workplace, and a Great Place to Work®. More information is available at www.calwatergroup.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). The forward-looking statements are intended to qualify under provisions of the federal securities laws for "safe harbor" treatment established by the PSLRA. Forward-looking statements in this news release are based on currently available information, expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections, and our management's beliefs, assumptions, judgments and expectations about us, the water utility industry and general economic conditions. These statements are not statements of historical fact. When used in our documents, statements that are not historical in nature, including words like will, would, expects, intends, plans, believes, may, could, estimates, assumes, anticipates, projects, progress, predicts, hopes, targets, forecasts, should, seeks or variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements describing the potential timing for the increase in Washington Water’s rates to become effective and plans for related cash receipts. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on numerous assumptions that we believe are reasonable, but they are open to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks. Consequently, actual results or outcomes may vary materially from what is contained in a forward-looking statement. Factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to be different than those expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to those described under the section entitled "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. We are not under any obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
MEDIA CONTACT: Yvonne Kingman, (310) 257-1434