California Water Service Enters into Agreement to Acquire Casa Loma Water Company and Palm Mutual Water Company
Rhea-AI Summary
California Water Service (NYSE: CWT) has announced agreements to acquire two water utility systems in Bakersfield: Casa Loma Water Company and Palm Mutual Water Company. Casa Loma serves approximately 900 people through 237 residential and 11 commercial connections, while Palm Mutual serves 63 residential customers. Both systems are strategically located near Cal Water's existing operations, with Casa Loma being three miles from their Bakersfield Operations Center and Palm Mutual two miles from their Northeast Bakersfield Treatment Plant.
Cal Water already has interconnections with both systems and plans infrastructure upgrades to improve service quality. The acquisitions require California Public Utilities Commission approval, and Cal Water intends to implement its existing rate structure for the new customers through a Tier 2 Advice Letter.
Positive
- Strategic expansion of service area in Bakersfield with existing interconnections
- Opportunity to improve infrastructure and service quality for acquired systems
- Immediate integration possible due to existing interties and proximity to Cal Water facilities
Negative
- Acquisitions require regulatory approval from CPUC
- Infrastructure upgrades will require capital investment
Insights
Cal Water's strategic acquisitions expand its Bakersfield customer base while leveraging existing infrastructure, enhancing long-term growth with minimal integration risk.
Cal Water's agreements to acquire Casa Loma and Palm Mutual water companies represent targeted bolt-on acquisitions that strategically expand the company's footprint in Bakersfield. The geographic proximity of these systems—just 2-3 miles from Cal Water's existing operations—creates immediate operational synergies and minimizes integration challenges.
The acquisition structure is particularly efficient: Cal Water already serves Palm Mutual through a master meter and has an existing intertie with Casa Loma. This infrastructure overlap means minimal capital investment for service initiation, though Cal Water has outlined plans for system upgrades to enhance fire flow, pressure, and bring infrastructure to company standards.
In terms of customer base expansion, Casa Loma adds 248 connections serving approximately 900 people, while Palm Mutual contributes 63 residential customers. While modest in size, these acquisitions demonstrate Cal Water's disciplined M&A approach targeting complementary systems within or adjacent to existing service territories.
From a regulatory perspective, the company's plan to file a Tier 2 Advice Letter requesting adoption of existing rates for new customers suggests a straightforward approval process. This regulatory strategy typically faces fewer hurdles than complex rate cases, though CPUC approval remains a necessary closing condition.
These transactions align with the broader utility sector trend of consolidation among smaller water systems, driven by increasing compliance requirements and infrastructure investment needs. For Cal Water, these acquisitions represent low-risk growth opportunities that leverage existing operational infrastructure while expanding the rate base in a familiar regulatory environment.
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California Water Service (Cal Water), the largest subsidiary of California Water Service Group (NYSE: CWT), has signed agreements with Casa Loma Water Company (Casa Loma) and Palm Mutual Water Company (Palm Mutual) to acquire both systems’ water utility assets.
Casa Loma serves about 900 people through 237 residential and 11 commercial customer connections. The system is located three miles from Cal Water’s Bakersfield Operations Center and is surrounded by Cal Water’s existing service area. Because Cal Water has an existing intertie with Casa Loma, Cal Water will begin delivering water to these new customers after the acquisition is completed. Cal Water intends to install additional interconnections to help improve fire flow and system pressure, and plans to upgrade the infrastructure to Cal Water standards.
Palm Mutual is located two miles from Cal Water’s Northeast Bakersfield Treatment Plant and serves 63 residential customers. Cal Water currently serves Palm Mutual through a master meter interconnection, since Palm Mutual does not own nor operate its own sources of supply. Cal Water anticipates upgrading the system’s infrastructure over time to facilitate consistent and high-quality operations.
Both acquisitions are subject to satisfactory closing conditions and approval by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Cal Water intends to file a Tier 2 Advice Letter requesting the adoption of existing Cal Water rates for the new customers.
“We applaud Palm Mutual Water Company and Casa Loma Water Company for putting the health and safety of their customers first. We look forward to providing our new customers the high level of service we provide to our other Bakersfield customers,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki, Cal Water Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
About California Water Service
California Water Service provides high-quality, reliable water utility services to more than 2.1 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 1,200 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 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.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). The forward-looking statements are intended to qualify under provisions of the federal securities laws for "safe harbor" treatment established by the PSLRA. Forward-looking statements in this news release are based on currently available information, expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections, and our management's beliefs, assumptions, judgments and expectations about us, the water utility industry and general economic conditions. These statements are not statements of historical fact. When used in our documents, statements that are not historical in nature, including words like will, would, expects, intends, plans, believes, may, could, estimates, assumes, anticipates, projects, progress, predicts, hopes, targets, forecasts, should, seeks, commits or variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements describing the expected benefits resulting from the Casa Loma and Palm Mutual acquisitions, regulatory approvals and filings related to the acquisitions, and Cal Water’s investment plans. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on numerous assumptions that we believe are reasonable but are subject to uncertainty and risks. Actual results or outcomes may vary materially from what is contained in a forward-looking statement. Factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to be different than those expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to: ability to integrate the business and operate the Casa Loma and Palm Mutual systems in an effective and accretive manner; the outcome and timeliness of regulatory commissions' actions concerning rate relief and other matters, including with respect to the 2024 California GRC filing; changes in regulatory commissions’ policies and procedures; our ability to invest or apply the proceeds from the issuance of common stock in an accretive manner; federal governmental and state regulatory commissions’ decisions; consequences of eminent domain actions relating to our water systems; increased risk of inverse condemnation losses as a result of the impact of weather, climate change, and natural disasters; our ability to renew leases to operate water systems owned by others on beneficial terms; changes in California State Water Resources Control Board water quality standards; changes in environmental compliance and water quality requirements, such as the EPA’s finalization of a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation in 2024; electric power interruptions; housing and customer growth; the impact of opposition to rate increases; our ability to recover costs; availability of water supplies; issues with the implementation, maintenance or security of our information technology systems; civil disturbances or terrorist threats or acts; the adequacy of our efforts to mitigate physical and cyber security risks and threats; the ability of our ERM processes to identify or address risks adequately; labor relations matters as we negotiate with the unions; changes in customer water use patterns and the effects on conservation, including as a result of drought conditions; our ability to complete, in a timely manner or at all, successfully integrate, and achieve anticipated benefits from acquisitions; the impact of weather, climate change, natural disasters, including wildfires and landslides, and actual or threatened public health emergencies on our operations, water quality, water availability, water sales, and operating results and the adequacy of our emergency preparedness; restrictive covenants in or changes to the credit ratings on our current or future debt that could increase our financing costs or affect our ability to borrow, make payments on debt, or pay dividends; risks associated with expanding our business and operations geographically; the impact of stagnating or worsening business and economic conditions, including inflationary pressures, general economic slowdown, or a recession, changes in tariff policy and uncertainty regarding tariffs and other retaliatory trade measures, the interest rate environment, changes in monetary policy, adverse macroeconomic conditions as a result of geopolitical conflicts, and the prospect of a shutdown of the U.S. federal government; the impact of market conditions and volatility on unrealized gains or losses on our non-qualified benefit plan investments and our operating results; the impact of weather and timing of meter reads on our accrued unbilled revenue; the impact of evolving legal and regulatory requirements; the impact of the evolving U.S. political environment that has led to, in some cases, legal challenges and uncertainty around the funding, functioning, and policy priorities of U.S. federal regulatory agencies and the status of current and future regulations; and other risks and unforeseen events described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other SEC filings. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. We are not under any obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
FAQ
What water companies is CWT acquiring in Bakersfield?
How many customers will CWT gain from these acquisitions?
What improvements does CWT plan for the acquired water systems?
What regulatory approvals does CWT need for these acquisitions?
