From left to right, CalMutuals Executive Director Adan Ortega, Ken Bradbury, and CalMutuals President Lisa Yamashita-Lopez

On September 30, 2024, CalMutuals proudly awarded the prestigious Blanche Vizzini Award to Ken Bradbury, a founding board member and a respected water industry leader. It was not only an honor to present the award on behalf of our board and membership, but it also felt deeply personal as Ken and I share roots in the working-class community of Bassett, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. The moment was truly special because we both attended Bassett High School, graduating just a few years apart.

Bassett High, at the time, was struggling at the lower end of the state’s educational rankings, serving a diverse community where Hispanic and Black students made up the majority, while Whites were the minority. Despite these challenges, Ken stood out—not only for his height but for his unwavering determination and resilience. These traits would follow him throughout his distinguished career in water management.

I first met Ken in the mid-1990s when I worked at West and Central Basin Municipal Water Districts, which were jointly managed. By then, Ken had already earned a solid reputation as a knowledgeable General Manager, particularly recognized for his command of the Central Basin, his disciplined operations, and his fiscal acumen. His leadership in the Central Basin Water Association was noted by everyone, and even amid complex projects like the Central Basin Recycled Water Project or Metropolitan’s Diamond Valley Lake, Ken’s voice was one we all respected. He didn’t speak often, but when he did, we all knew we had to do our homework to address his sharp, insightful questions.

By 2013, we had the chance to collaborate again, and by then, Ken’s reputation had only grown stronger. He was known for standing firm in his responsibilities as General Manager of Montebello Land and Water Company, a position he had earned after starting from the ground up. After high school, Ken began his career digging trenches and laying pipes at an investor-owned utility, working his way up while gaining the certifications and expertise that led him to Montebello. His work ethic and integrity carried him to the role of General Manager, where he served for more than 30 years.

Ken’s legacy at Montebello Land and Water is one of discipline, dedication, and foresight. He prioritized the well-being of the water system, knowing that deferred maintenance would only lead to more costly breakdowns in the future. His fiscal prudence ensured that the company avoided rate shocks, providing stable water rates to the community for decades. Ken’s fairness extended to every aspect of his job, including billing, as demonstrated by his bold decision to cut off water service to a local Assemblymember who had fallen behind on payments. To Ken, the integrity of the water system and the responsibility of paying customers came first, no matter who they were.

Ken’s leadership extended to building a loyal workforce at Montebello Land and Water, where he cultivated a culture of excellence. He stayed up to date with industry wage standards, promoted training, and encouraged the advancement of employees who showed dedication and skill. His commitment to “playing it by the book” was key to Montebello Land and Water’s resilience and long-term success.

In 2013, Ken’s vision expanded when he and Montebello Land and Water joined 13 other mutual water companies to form CalMutuals, an organization that has grown from those founding members to over 600 today. His dedication of time, expertise, and resources was critical to this success, and he also co-founded the CalMutuals JPRIMA. Ken has always believed in the importance of small water systems keeping up with ever-evolving standards and regulations, but he also advocates for larger systems to support those struggling to meet these requirements, ensuring the entire sector stays strong and united.

Ken Bradbury’s career and leadership have made an invaluable impact on small water systems, on CalMutuals, and on everyone who has had the privilege of working with him. For me personally, our shared history in Bassett makes his achievements all the more inspiring. I look forward to many more “cigar nights,” filled with stories of Ken’s hunting trips, workshop projects, and our shared amazement at having “made it” in the water industry, coming from our humble beginnings.

On behalf of CalMutuals, our members, and the many friends and colleagues who admire Ken, we offer our heartfelt thanks and the deepest congratulations on receiving the Blanche Vizzini Award. It is a well-deserved recognition of a remarkable career and a lasting legacy.

The California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) has announced their 2019 Funding Fairs.

Funding Fairs are free and provide opportunities to obtain information about currently available infrastructure grant, loan and bond financing programs and options. Each attendee will receive copies of all slide presentations and additional useful infrastructure financing material. The Funding Fairs also provide an opportunity for attendees to speak directly with program staff about specific projects and issues affecting their community.

To download the 2019 Funding Fair flyer with dates and locations, click here.

For more information and registration links to the Funding Fairs, click here.

CalMutuals Executive Director Adán Ortega was among the 40-plus invited participants of a new group formed to advise the state on issues faced by operators of small water systems (less than 3,000 connections) in light of state mandates for water conservation stemming from Assembly Bill 1668.

The County Drought Advisory Group (CDAG) aims to help the California Dept. of Water Resources understand the impacts of water shortages during dry periods on small communities and systems. Goals for the group include developing trust between stakeholders, producing vulnerability indicators and draft recommendations.

CalMutuals will continue to participate on behalf of its members to find ways to apply common sense guidelines for water management during future droughts.

We look back at 2018 with pride and gratitude for you, our members. 

Since CalMutuals founding in 2013, we have grown from 14 original founders to over 300 members.  CalMutuals has become recognized across the state as “the voice for small water systems.”  We are regularly consulted by key legislators, state agencies and other stakeholders on legislation and regulations — including a number of state agency work groups about drought planning, water quality and implementation of the State’s Human Right to Water legislation.  In sum, we represent small systems as essential contributors to solutions that will ensure that Californians from all walks of life will have safe and affordable water.  

CalMutuals Joint Powers Risk and Insurance Management Authority (JPRIMA), in its third year, has fast earned a reputation as the best in-class insurance for water systems of all types.  JPRIMA reinvests in its members and insureds and through its success has been able to fund free resources for members with fewer than 500 connections.   New resources introduced in 2018 include a comprehensive slate of continuing education courses in partnership with the American Water College, a video library of video resources for managers in partnership with AADW&M and background checks that provide the insights to help reduce liability while dramatically improving the quality of talent in partnership with OPENOnline.

All this being said, we owe our success to a dedicated Board of Directors who volunteer their time and talents, and to our growing list of members.

2019 will bring all sorts of challenges – some anticipated and others not.  But for now, we would like to thank you and wish you a happy holiday season.

CalMutuals is urging Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Kamala Harris to co-sponsor S. 1090, the Water and Agriculture Tax Reform Act of 2017 (the WATER Act).

Mutual Water Companies are member-owned water supply organizations categorized as 501(c)(12) not-for-profit entities. In order to maintain that not-for-profit status, current law requires that no less than 85 percent of the costs of water infrastructure projects are paid for by members themselves. This rule dis-incentivizes investment in the maintenance of existing infrastructure and the construction of new infrastructure.

If passed, the WATER Act would allow mutual water companies to use additional revenue from non-member sources to fund water infrastructure projects without jeopardizing the non-profit status. For instance, the bill would allow mutual water companies to generate additional revenue by selling excess land or leasing excess water rights and using the proceeds to improve service or invest in water-saving infrastructure improvements.

Please join our efforts by submitting this letter to Senator Feinstein and this letter to Senator Harris on your company’s letterhead.

For questions, please contact Susan@CalMutuals.org or call Susan at (714) 449-8403.

In 2018, the California State Legislature (Legislature) enacted two long-term water conservation policy bills, AB 1668 (Friedman) and SB 606 (Hertzberg). The two policy bills require the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR), to establish long-term water conservation and drought planning.

As an initial implementation action, the Water Board and DWR released a primer to summarize the authorities, requirements, and schedules included in the new legislation. Among the laws’ requirements, is the formation of advisory groups to solicit input and feedback on the implementation of the two policy bills.

CalMutuals Executive Director Adán Ortega has been selected to serve as an official member of the County Drought Advisory Group (CDAG). As a member of CDAG, Executive Director Ortega will work with other stakeholders to develop recommendations for water shortage contingency planning. The first CDAG meeting will take place on December 13th.

For more information, please contact Adan@CalMutuals.org.

Dear CalMutuals Members –

It’s with great respect and pride that I would like to announce that CalMutuals Managing Director Denise Peralta Gailey will be leaving CalMutuals on December 11th, to begin another position in January. As you know, Denise has worked alongside our board of directors, members and myself, for the last five years.

During her time with CalMutuals, she’s been part of a family of leaders who helped grow our organization from 14 original members to over 300 today.

Many of you know Denise for her excellent grasp of policy, legislation, and technical referrals. Others witnessed her leadership in generating dozens of letters in support (or opposition) to bills we targeted.

In these final days, I am experiencing bittersweet moments seeing her leave. I am proud that Denise crossed our door and earnestly worked to master her talents. I will miss our daily interactions and look forward to watching her thrive in her new role. I urge you to stay in touch with her. This young woman, leader and friend is going places!

Until further notice, please feel free to contact Susan Allen for general inquiries and requests at susan@calmutuals.org or call Susan at (714) 449-8403.

Adán Ortega
Executive Director, CalMutuals

Earlier this year, Governor Brown signed two long-term water conservation bills, AB 1668 (Friedman) and SB 606 (Hertzberg).

Together, the two bills require the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR), to establish long-term urban water use efficiency standards for urban retail water suppliers (3,000 svc conns or ≥3,000 AF) by June 30, 2022. Those standards will include components for indoor residential use, outdoor residential use, water losses and other uses.

Below is an overview of the two water-efficiency bills:

AB 1668 (Friedman)

• Outlines reporting requirements for water suppliers and specifies penalties for violations.
• Establishes water use objectives, standards and reporting requirements for indoor and outdoor residential water use, commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) landscape areas, water losses, and other unique local uses.
• Provides options for meeting water use objectives if there are reasons why a utility can not meet the required 50 gallons per person per day goal by 2030.
• Revises the Agricultural Water Management Planning Act to increase the efficiency of agricultural water use.
• Requires DWR, the State Water Board, and other relevant stakeholders to identify small water suppliers and rural communities that may be at risk of drought and water shortage vulnerability and provide recommendations for drought planning.

SB 606 (Hertzberg)

• Outlines requirements for urban water suppliers, and specifies penalties for violations. The bill contains distinct provisions on water shortage planning and water loss reporting for urban wholesale water suppliers and establishes a bonus incentive for potable reuse water.
• Establishes urban water use objectives and reporting requirements for urban water suppliers by requiring an urban water supplier to calculate an aggregate urban water use objective.
• Substantially revises the requirements under the Urban Water Management Planning Act. Specifically, requires urban water suppliers to conduct annual drought risk assessments and to submit an annual report to DWR.
• Requires the adoption of a water shortage contingency plan, which must include certain elements, annual drought risk assessment procedures, and standard water shortage levels.

What’s Next?

DWR and the State Board will be holding joint workshops on AB 1668/SB 606 implementation. More information on the meetings is expected soon.

Key Deadlines for Urban Water Suppliers:

June 1, 2019
Submit annual water shortage assessment to DWR.

November 1, 2023, and annually thereafter:
Deadline to calculate urban water use objective and report to DWR
Deadline to calculate previous years’ actual urban water use and report to DWR.

January 1, 2024
Submit to DWR a supplement to adopted 2020 plan.

January 1, 2025
Abide by standard for indoor residential water use of 52.5 gcpd.

January 1, 2027
Provide narrative in addition to supplement that describes water demand management measures that supplier plans to implement to achieve its 2027 urban water use objective.

January 1, 2030
Abide by standard for indoor residential water use of 50 gpcd.

For more information, please contact Susan@CalMutuals.org