Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association held a groundbreaking ceremony this month at its Maiden Lane Reservoir, marking a major milestone in its recovery from the January 2025 Eaton Fire. The ceremony brought together community leaders, shareholders, water industry representatives, and local officials–including a representative from Assemblymember Harabedian’s office, who presented Rubio with a certificate of recognition.
More than $2 million in insurance proceeds will fund the reservoir rebuild, with nearly $1 million in additional capital improvements to pipelines, valves, and related infrastructure. That funding flows through CalMutuals JPRIMA–the risk-management insurance authority that Rubio helped establish after traditional pooled insurance for mutual water companies became unavailable.
“CalMutuals is proud that JPRIMA is helping fund this vital reconstruction effort,” said Adán Ortega, CalMutuals Executive Director. “The Eaton Fire demonstrated why mutual water companies must keep looking out for one another to protect the communities they serve. At a time when many small water systems cannot count on outside assistance, cooperation within the mutual water community remains more important than ever.”
The ceremony honored the construction ahead as much as it celebrated Rubio’s operators, who kept the system running throughout the fire under extraordinary conditions. Shane Chapman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, who witnessed the devastation firsthand, celebrated the courage of Rubio’s operators under extraordinary conditions–including Manager of Operations Armando De La Paz, who burned his hands on a gate at the very site where guests gathered for the ceremony.
Ann Lee of CORE recalled the role the non-profit played in providing debris removal when the community needed it most. Alix Stayton, Emergency Management Coordinator for California’s Public Water Agencies Group, credited Rubio’s emergency preparedness as a decisive factor in the swift recovery. “Rubio was in the best position to handle this devastating fire, which made getting to this point in rebuilding possible. Had they not been prepared, we would not be here this quickly to celebrate the groundbreaking.”
General Manager Lisa Yamashita-Lopez was candid about the journey: it’s been a long, challenging road, and the work isn’t done. But reaching this moment–this quickly, after so much destruction–and the operators whose dedication made a swift recovery possible, is something worth celebrating.