California American Water and Golden State Water Host “Sacramento Valley Small System Consolidation Tour”
Tour Shows How Investor-Owned Utilities Can Bring Service Reliability to Communities
SACRAMENTO (August 23, 2022) – California American Water and Golden State Water Company (Golden State Water) jointly invited California Public Utility Commissioners on a tour to explore the challenges and opportunities of small water system consolidation, specifically in the Sacramento Valley area. Commissioner Houck was the first to take the tour last week, which provided a hands-on look at the benefits for smaller water systems when they are acquired by larger public utility companies. Topics included water treatment improvements to small, underserved communities, infrastructure advancements, increasing and more equitable access to quality water, and more.
The tour began with three stops in the Robbins water system, which was recently acquired by Golden State Water after over ten years of collaboration with Sutter County and other parties. During the tour, Golden State Water staff explained the many ways the company is working to return the Robbins water system to full compliance with federal and state health and safety standards.
“We are proud to extend water service to the Robbins community,” said Paul Schubert, Northern District General Manager with Golden State Water. “Golden State Water is a professional water provider that holds itself to the highest standards for service, water quality and customer care. Our team of dedicated professionals looks forward to being a trusted community partner, today and for generations to come.”
To demonstrate what a small water system transformation looks like after consolidation, the tour group then visited California American Water’s Dunnigan system. When acquired in 2015, the Dunnigan system’s supply consisted of two wells with high levels of Chromium 6, a state-regulated contaminant that is subject to state drinking water standards. Since consolidating with California American Water’s larger Sacramento Service Area, the Dunnigan community has benefitted from major improvements, with costs spread over a much larger customer base.
“Customers in our Dunnigan system are now being served by staff that are experts in their fields of water treatment and distribution,” said Audie Foster, Director of Operations for California American Water’s Northern Division. “In addition to addressing main breaks quickly and efficiently as early as the first day after our acquisition, our staff have worked over the last several years to bring on a brand new well, water storage upgrades, treatment advancements — including Chromium 6 treatment — a new generator, booster pump skid, and more.”
California American Water and Golden State Water plan to host additional California Public Utility Commissioners for the same tour later in the year.
California American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to more than 725,000 people. Information regarding California American Water’s service areas can be found on the company’s website www.californiaamwater.com.
About American Water
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE:AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com.Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
SACRAMENTO (August 23, 2022) – California American Water and Golden State Water Company (Golden State Water) jointly invited California Public Utility Commissioners on a tour to explore the challenges and opportunities of small water system consolidation, specifically in the Sacramento Valley area. Commissioner Houck was the first to take the tour last week, which provided a hands-on look at the benefits for smaller water systems when they are acquired by larger public utility companies. Topics included water treatment improvements to small, underserved communities, infrastructure advancements, increasing and more equitable access to quality water, and more.
The tour began with three stops in the Robbins water system, which was recently acquired by Golden State Water after over ten years of collaboration with Sutter County and other parties. During the tour, Golden State Water staff explained the many ways the company is working to return the Robbins water system to full compliance with federal and state health and safety standards.
“We are proud to extend water service to the Robbins community,” said Paul Schubert, Northern District General Manager with Golden State Water. “Golden State Water is a professional water provider that holds itself to the highest standards for service, water quality and customer care. Our team of dedicated professionals looks forward to being a trusted community partner, today and for generations to come.”
To demonstrate what a small water system transformation looks like after consolidation, the tour group then visited California American Water’s Dunnigan system. When acquired in 2015, the Dunnigan system’s supply consisted of two wells with high levels of Chromium 6, a state-regulated contaminant that is subject to state drinking water standards. Since consolidating with California American Water’s larger Sacramento Service Area, the Dunnigan community has benefitted from major improvements, with costs spread over a much larger customer base.
“Customers in our Dunnigan system are now being served by staff that are experts in their fields of water treatment and distribution,” said Audie Foster, Director of Operations for California American Water’s Northern Division. “In addition to addressing main breaks quickly and efficiently as early as the first day after our acquisition, our staff have worked over the last several years to bring on a brand new well, water storage upgrades, treatment advancements — including Chromium 6 treatment — a new generator, booster pump skid, and more.”
California American Water and Golden State Water plan to host additional California Public Utility Commissioners for the same tour later in the year.
California American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to more than 725,000 people. Information regarding California American Water’s service areas can be found on the company’s website www.californiaamwater.com.
About American Water
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE:AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com.Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.