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Shannon Dean is vice president of customer service and chief citizenship officer at California Water Service.

Shannon Dean is vice president of customer service and chief citizenship officer at California Water Service.

It’s no secret that the cost of everything is going up. Higher inflation has increased prices for gas, housing, food and clothing, to name a few.

Inflation also has hit utilities, including California’s water providers. At California Water Service (Cal Water), we are constantly making ongoing investments to replace aging infrastructure, test and treat water supplies to meet new and updated treatment standards, diversify supplies, and keep a well-trained workforce. All of this is getting more expensive.

With California’s high cost of living, coupled with inflation pushing all expenses higher, many are left struggling to figure out how they can cover bills for necessities. As a basic human need, everyone should have access to clean, safe drinking water.

Senate Bill 222 (Dodd) would establish a state Water Rate Assistance Program to provide water affordability assistance for both drinking and wastewater services to low-income ratepayers experiencing economic hardships.

A similar low-income assistance program has been in place for energy utility customers, offering a 30 percent to 35 percent discount for electric bills and a 20 percent discount for natural gas bills. It’s well past time for a program for water customers.

Cal Water has firsthand knowledge that programs like those envisioned by SB 222 work and provide vital assistance to those struggling to pay their water bills. Cal Water was one of the first water suppliers in California to establish a Customer Assistance Program, which provides enrolled customers with a discount on their monthly service charge, helping those who are facing financial hardships.

In 2021, 45 percent of Cal Water’s residential customers in its Bakersfield service area and 33 percent of those in its Kern River Valley service area were enrolled in its Customer Assistance Program. The customers in Bakersfield received over $2.9 million in support in 2021, and those in Kern River Valley received more than $428,000.

Unfortunately, not all water providers offer assistance programs. According to the State Water Resources Control Board, 56 percent of Californians have a water service provider that does not offer rate assistance to low-income customers.

The high and rising costs of basic needs hit low-income residents the hardest, often forcing them to make difficult and risky trade-offs that can be harmful to their health in the long run.

California previously offered relief to low-income water customers during the pandemic. The state set aside funding for debt relief for past-due bills due to COVID-19 impacts. Unfortunately, this was one time only, not ongoing. California also established the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, which provides crisis assistance to low-income families facing immediate water shutoffs, but it only goes through 2024.

While these two programs have certainly helped customers, they don’t address that California’s low-income residents need an ongoing assistance program to avoid water debt problems. Lack of such a program is a major gap in our social safety net.

SB 222 will close the gap for the millions of Californians who are not served by water suppliers with existing assistance programs, ensuring they have a soft landing if they happen to fall on hard times.

We believe everyone should have access to water that is safe, reliable and affordable. SB 222 is a much-needed bill that will give people the financial assistance they need.

Shannon Dean is vice president of customer service and chief citizenship officer at California Water Service.