Social at California Water Service Group

Taking Care of People

Supporting Our Communities

Our company is stronger when we use our resources to contribute to the health and success of the communities in which serve. Through philanthropic support, active engagement with our stakeholders, and a strong program to prepare our communities and our company for emergencies, we strive every day to live by our commitment to being good neighbors and corporate citizens.

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Community Support

Community Support

Community Support

We support local communities and charitable organizations in our districts through volunteerism, in-kind contributions, and financial donations. We refine our corporate giving strategy to adapt to changes in stakeholder needs, with contributions to organizations across a range of focus areas, including veteran services, youth support services, educational services, disaster and emergency response, healthcare, animal welfare services, community improvement and economic and workforce development, environmental sustainability, and assistance for at-risk, underserved, and disadvantaged communities. We donated a total of approximately $1.58 million to local organizations through our philanthropic efforts in 2022.

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Stakeholder Engagement and Public Participation

Stakeholder Engagement and Public Participation

Stakeholder Engagement and Public Participation

Focusing on those who may be affected by and/or have the potential to influence our operations, we encourage consistent, transparent, and informed communication with our stakeholders. Through a variety of engagement methods with a variety of stakeholder groups, we foster meaningful relationships, receive input, identify opportunities to address concerns, and share critical information with the communities we serve. We also remain committed to collaborating with our community partners to advocate for legislation and regulations that promote access to safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water service for our customers and communities.

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Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Our number one priority is to provide an uninterrupted supply of safe, clean water, even in times of crisis. It takes extensive planning, infrastructure maintenance, and training to help keep our customers and employees safe during emergencies. Through our Emergency Operations Centers, we conduct numerous training exercises and simulations with internal and external stakeholders to prepare for emergencies and build resiliency into our supply chain. Emergency Response Plans for each district and Emergency Action Guidebooks distributed to all employees enable us to prepare, respond, and recover from potential emergencies quickly and effectively. We also offer online resources to our customers to help them prepare for the unexpected.

Serving Our Customers

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. Whether we are conducting a water quality test, enrolling a customer in our low-income assistance program, or safeguarding customer data, we are motivated by our commitment to improving the quality of life for those we serve.

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Drinking Water Quality and Customer Safety

Drinking Water Quality and Customer Safety

Drinking Water Quality and Customer Safety

The health of our customers and their families depends in part on the quality of the water we deliver. Through our extensive water quality assurance program, we manage over 800 different treatment processes to meet over 250 water quality standards, including requirements from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and applicable state regulations. Beyond the comprehensive, routine treatment, testing, and monitoring we conduct throughout our water systems, we have implemented several additional initiatives and programs. In California, we collect more than 70,000 water samples from our water systems and conduct more than 400,000 water quality tests every year.

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Water Affordability and Access

Water Affordability and Access

Water Affordability and Access

We work hard to make water service affordable and accessible to those we serve by operating efficiently, managing our water supply responsibly, charging rates that reflect the actual costs of service, and providing payment assistance to low-income customers. We offer flexible, penalty-free, interest-free payment arrangements and extensions to our customers, as well as a stockholder-funded hardship grant program to protect access to water. In California, our Customer Assistance Program (CAP) grants a 50% reduction in the monthly service charge for qualifying low-income customers and our Rate Support Fund provides a subsidy that offsets the monthly bill for all customers in our highest-cost California districts.

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Cybersecurity and Data Privacy

Cybersecurity and Data Privacy

Cybersecurity and Data Privacy

We are committed to investing in the right people, processes, and technology to protect our operations, our people, the customers we serve, and the information we hold. Our approach to cybersecurity and data privacy includes policies, procedures, and programs aligned with leading standards and in compliance with cybersecurity standards and data privacy laws.

Each year, we provide our employees and contractors with refreshed, online security awareness training and engage expert consultants to validate our controls and identify any deficiencies. We also partner with a third party-managed Security Operations Center (SOC) to monitor network traffic 24/7 and detect, evaluate, and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents in real time.

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Customer Service

Customer Service

Customer Service

We have long said there is a reason we have “Service” in our name—we are committed to providing excellent customer service by developing elite customer service professionals, delivering greater flexibility, and leveraging emerging technologies to contribute to high-quality customer experiences. To receive feedback on our capabilities and performance, we regularly conduct customer surveys to measure satisfaction and gather insights about customer preferences so we can continue to meet our customers’ needs.

Engaging Our Workforce

Our CEO, Marty Kropelnicki, has a well-known saying: “We aren’t a ‘pipe company,’ we’re a ‘people company.'” We believe that if you put people first, everything else falls into place. That’s why we are committed to caring for our workforce by fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, providing training and development opportunities, and protecting our employees’ health and well-being. We strive to make our company a place where everyone is valued and has an opportunity to succeed.

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Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality

We believe that developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities strengthens our organization and enhances the service we can provide to our customers. By folding the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion into every aspect of our business, we create a company culture where everyone can thrive. Our Business Code of Conduct provides equal opportunity regardless of religion, gender, age, race, cultural origin, sexual orientation, or disability, and we enforce a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

View Our Code of Conduct View Our Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Policy
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Talent Retention Strategy

Talent Retention Strategy

Talent Retention Strategy

Creating a work environment that attracts and retains the best talent is paramount to our ability to serve our customers. We seek to give our employees every opportunity to thrive. This includes providing competitive benefits, fostering a supportive and engaging work environment, providing training and career development opportunities, and promoting overall wellness. This also includes protecting the rights of our employees, including safe and just workplace conditions, fair labor rights, freedom of association, and collective bargaining. We also partner with local colleges, high schools, and organizations to provide technical skill development opportunities and encourage rising talent to consider careers in the water industry.

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Workplace Health and Safety

Workplace Health and Safety

Workplace Health and Safety

Our employees are our most valuable asset; therefore, our philosophy is that health and safety should be a vital part of everything we do. We regard applicable health and safety legislation as a minimum standard, and are committed to complying with and striving to exceed that minimum. We provide continuous safety and communication training as well as monitoring of systems, equipment, and technology to ensure the safest work environment. Additionally, resources such as our Employee Assistance Program and emotional support services support the health of our team members both at work and at home.