Our thoughts remain with everyone who has been affected by the wildfires devastating parts of the Los Angeles area and the firefighters battling the fires. In the wake of this tragedy and news about water availability during the firefight, we have received numerous inquiries on the state of the water system in the communities we serve. Cal Water does not provide water service to the communities within the boundaries of the current fires; however, we wanted to provide information on our efforts to prepare for a significant emergency like this that could affect the water supply.

While no urban water system is designed to have unlimited supply or fully extinguish such widespread and prolonged fires, we proactively coordinate with the cities in which we serve to help mitigate potential supply impacts. We have a comprehensive emergency preparedness program in place, and we work closely with our local fire departments to help manage the water demand on the system and help boost pressure during fire emergencies.

Among other steps we take to help prepare for and harden our system against wildfires are:

• Installing generators at key facilities to keep our infrastructure operating properly if power is lost or shut off.
• Positioning backup, portable generators where needed at other facilities.
• Visually inspecting our hydrants annually and proactively maintaining them regularly to confirm they can function properly.
• Upgrading hydrants as part of our Infrastructure Improvement Planning process.
• Creating defensible space around our facilities through vegetation management.
• Equipping our employees with fire packs, portable extinguisher pumps that help stop small spot fires that may reach our facilities should they be on site.
• Conducting annual community EOC training, based on the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System, with local cities and first responders to increase coordination and readiness.
• Assembling regional Operations Rapid Response Teams to quickly mobilize and support emergencies that arise in various Cal Water areas.
• Procuring lay-flat hoses to move water from one location to another.
• Adding Emergency Response Trailer Units to deploy important equipment efficiently in emergencies.

We hope that an event like this never strikes our area, but please know that we have been—and will continue to—taking numerous measures to support water system reliability in emergencies. We intend to continue working directly with our cities and first responders both before and during such events. our residents’ safety is our top priority.

LA Fire Relief Efforts

Our hearts break for the communities and residents devasted by this tragedy, and we are contributing $100,000 to support relief efforts during this time:

• $25,000 to the California Fire Foundation, which supports firefighters, victims of fire, and families of fallen firefighters.
• $25,000 to World Central Kitchen, which provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
• $25,000 to the American Red Cross, to assist people affected by this disaster.
• $25,000 divided evenly between the Pasadena Humane Society and Los Angeles SPCA, to assist with animal care and services needed in the wake of the fires.

Beyond these donations, the company is increasing our employee match to these organizations as part of our employee contribution matching program. All of these contributions are from the company’s philanthropic giving program and do not affect customers’ rates.