California Water Service Begins Infrastructure Upgrade This Week to Improve Water Supply Reliability in Downtown Los Altos

LOS ALTOS, Calif.—California Water Service (Cal Water) began a water infrastructure upgrade this week in downtown Los Altos that will improve water supply reliability and fire protection in the area. The upgrade will include replacing more than 7,060 feet of aging water main, along with replacing and installing additional fire hydrants and valves.

“We continually modernize and upgrade our water system because providing safe, clean, reliable drinking water to our customers is our top priority,” said Dawn Smithson, Los Altos Suburban District Manager. “This is an important project for our downtown area, and we appreciate everyone's patience during construction, as we continue our partnership with the City of Los Altos to make water system improvements that will benefit our community for decades to come.”

Work will be completed in two phases:

• Phase I includes construction on Plaza Central, from Third Street to State Street, then going down State Street to Main Street, and back up Main Street to Third Street. Crews will also install main on Third Street, from Plaza North to Plaza South. 

• During Phase II, the remainder of Plaza Central, from Third Street to First Street, will be completed. Work will continue along all of Plaza North, from First Street to Edith Avenue, and then down Edith to San Antonio Road. 

Construction is expected to take two months during Phase 1 and three months during Phase 2. After each phase, Cal Water must flush the water lines and test water quality samples, but will flush only as long as necessary to fulfill water quality requirements.

 Additionally, Cal Water will have traffic control in place to help keep motorists and workers safe, and to reduce potential traffic impacts when partial lane closures are needed. While some parking spaces may be unavailable during construction, all businesses in the immediate area will remain accessible.

For any questions, customers can contact the Cal Water office at (650) 917-0152.

About California Water Service

California Water Service provides high-quality, reliable water utility services to 70,100 people through 18,500 service connections in Los Altos, and more than 2 million people statewide through 499,400 service connections. Cal Water’s purpose is to enhance the quality of life for customers and communities. To do so, it invests responsibly in water and wastewater infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, and community well-being. The company’s 1,100+ 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 utility 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.calwater.com.

Released May 6, 2025