Cal Water Celebrates 100 Years of Service with Visalia Community

VISALIA, Calif.— Visalia residents are invited to join California Water Service (Cal Water) on Friday to enjoy America’s favorite pastime at the company’s customer appreciation celebration commemorating its centennial. Cal Water got its start in Visalia in 1926, shortly after being founded by three World War 1 veterans, and is celebrating its milestone at Valley Strong Ballpark, which first opened in 1946, two decades after the company was founded.

“Being in this community for 100 years is something we want to celebrate with our community. To be here 100 years, we’ve had to endure many different things— the Great Depression, World War II, earthquakes, fires, and more—and still be able to provide safe, clean, reliable water to our customers,” said Stuart Skoglund, Cal Water’s Visalia Interim District Manager. “We take providing water our customers can count on seriously, and that’s one of the reasons we invest in our infrastructure—so that when our customers need water, whether it’s to fight fires or to take showers, it’s available when they turn on their faucets.

Customers are invited to attend the event for free (up to 800 tickets are being distributed free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m. at the box office on May 1), to take home a free drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly plant as part of the company’s Adopt-a-Plant series, and meet their local Cal Water team. Add the rally towels, washing machine, etc.

Cal Water’s Visalia District is made up of more than 50 employees with nearly 700 years of experience and more than 100 certifications, who work to maintain nearly 600 miles of main, 59 wells, 2.8 million gallons of storage, and 4,200+ hydrants to provide water to about 145,000 people through approximately 53,000 service connections in Visalia.

Already this year, the Visalia City Council presented Cal Water with a centennial proclamation in March, and the Tulare County Board of Supervisors will do the same later this year.

“For a full century, Cal Water has provided safe, dependable water every single day. We thank Cal Water for its dedication and support to our community and congratulate them on this incredible milestone,” said Tulare County Supervisor Amy Shuklian.

To RSVP to Adopt-A-Plant, Cal Water customers can visit www.calwater.com/events/adopt-a-plant.

About California Water Service

California Water Service provides high-quality, reliable water utility services to about 145,000 people through approximately 53,000 service connections in Visalia and more than 2 million people statewide through 500,000 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 1,200 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, commemorating a century of service this year, has been named one of “America’s Most Responsible Companies” and one of 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

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Released April 30, 2026