SAN DIEGO, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of Infrastructure Week, California American Water today announced its continued commitment to strengthening water and wastewater infrastructure across the state, with significant planned investments in 2026 totaling approximately $277 million to support safe, clean, reliable and affordable service for customers.
California American Water’s capital investment is focused on upgrading aging infrastructure, enhancing water quality, reducing service disruptions, and improving system resilience.
“Infrastructure Week is an opportunity to highlight the essential role water and wastewater systems play in our communities,” said Sarah Leeper, President of California American Water. “Our continued investments reflect our long-term commitment to delivering reliable service, protecting public health, and supporting economic growth across California.”
California American Water’s 2026 investment plan strategically prioritizes:
- Replacing and renewing aging water infrastructure across distribution systems.
- Enhanced water storage with numerous tank projects across the state.
- Water treatment improvements to increase capacity and support resiliency
- Technology and operational efficiency upgrades including automation and system monitoring.
Planned and ongoing projects span communities throughout the state and include some of the following examples:
- Major main replacement project in Sacramento: Keeping our promise to residents of the recently acquired Fruitridge system, we are replacing their mains and relocating water service meters to the street side adding to efficiency and overall system improvement via this major undertaking.
- New groundwater storage in Isleton: Bringing much needed water storage capacity to this small but historic town.
- Major water treatment upgrades in Monterey: Our large Iron removal plant in Monterey is receiving a major upgrade to increase efficiency and consistent water quality.
- New water storage tanks in Southern California to modernize aging infrastructure and improve system performance.
In addition to modernizing critical systems that often operate out of sight but are essential to daily life, ongoing infrastructure investment supports local economies. Studies have shown that for every $1 million invested in water infrastructure, 10 jobs are created. The work is completed by highly skilled union employees.
About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and celebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s approximately 7,000 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
About California American Water
California American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK) with approximately 300 dedicated employees, provides safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 720,000 people.
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SOURCE American Water
