3 Stocks to Keep an Eye On in the Thriving Water Supply Sector
Overview of the Water Supply Industry: The Zacks Utility - Water Supply industry includes companies providing drinking water and wastewater services, managing extensive aging infrastructure while investing in upgrades to meet increasing demand.
Trends Impacting the Industry: Key trends include consolidation among fragmented providers for improved efficiency, benefits from declining interest rates that lower financing costs for infrastructure projects, and the urgent need for significant investments to address deteriorating water systems.
Industry Performance and Valuation: The water supply industry has underperformed compared to the broader market, currently trading at a discount relative to the S&P 500 and sector averages, despite a positive earnings outlook.
Investment Opportunities: Three recommended stocks with strong growth potential are California Water Service Group, Global Water Resources, and The York Water Company, each showing promising earnings growth and dividend yields.
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- Economic Collaboration Initiative: California Water Service CEO Martin Kropelnicki joins the CalCEO Council, composed of 22 top California CEOs, aimed at addressing economic issues through best practices and public policy proposals to enhance community affordability.
- Corporate Responsibility Commitment: The company emphasizes enhancing quality of life for customers and communities by investing in water infrastructure and sustainability initiatives, reflecting its strong commitment to social responsibility.
- Service Coverage: As the largest regulated water utility in the western United States, California Water Service serves over 2.1 million people across California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington, and Texas, showcasing its leadership in the water sector.
- Centennial Service Celebration: This year marks the 100th anniversary of California Water Service, highlighting its long-standing commitment to water service and contributions to the community.
- Centennial Celebration: California Water Service Group plans a year-long celebration to commemorate its 100th anniversary, highlighting its historical legacy as a foundation for future success.
- Service Expansion: Since its founding in 1926, the company has grown from serving four communities to providing services to over 2.1 million residents across California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington, making it the third-largest publicly traded water utility in the U.S.
- Corporate Mission: The company is committed to enhancing the quality of life for customers, communities, employees, and shareholders by responsibly investing in water infrastructure and sustainability initiatives, reflecting its role as the largest regulated water utility in the western United States.
- Honor Recognition: California Water Service Group has been recognized as one of

- Acquisition Expansion: California Water Service Group, through its subsidiary Texas Water, plans to acquire the remaining membership interests of BVRT, becoming the sole owner of its seven water and wastewater utilities in the Austin-San Antonio corridor, which is expected to enhance its market position significantly.
- Infrastructure Investment: BVRT continues to expand its Texas footprint by building and enhancing water and wastewater infrastructure, which is anticipated to support future customer connections and cater to the region's rapid growth.
- Strategic Integration: The Group plans to file a change of control application with the Texas Public Utilities Commission, and upon completion of the acquisition, it aims to better integrate the BVRT team, thereby improving operational efficiency and service quality.
- Customer Service Enhancement: The Camino Real subsidiary has been granted a water certificate of convenience and necessity, which is expected to serve future customer connections within nearly 230 acres, further solidifying its service capabilities in rapidly growing communities.
- Executive Promotions: California Water Service Group announced the promotion of Todd K. Peters to Vice President of Engineering and Thomas A. Scanlon to Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer effective January 1, 2026, recognizing their contributions and aiming to enhance the leadership team's expertise.
- Rich Experience: Peters, who joined the company in 1993, has held various roles, most recently as Chief Engineering Officer, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, while Scanlon, who joined in 2010, holds a Bachelor’s in Finance and an MBA, and is a Certified Public Accountant, bringing unique expertise to the team.
- Company Background: California Water Service Group provides regulated and non-regulated water and wastewater services to over 2.1 million people across several states, and with these promotions, the company aims to leverage enhanced management capabilities for sustained growth.
- Strategic Implications: Chairman and CEO Martin A. Kropelnicki stated that these promotions not only acknowledge the contributions of both executives but also aim to provide stronger leadership for the company's future, helping maintain its competitive edge in the water services industry.

- Interim Rate Approval: The California Public Utilities Commission has authorized California Water Service to implement a 3% interim rate increase effective January 1, 2026, across most service areas to support essential infrastructure investments, ensuring safe and reliable water delivery to customers.
- Ongoing Infrastructure Investment: This temporary rate hike will enable California Water Service to continue necessary infrastructure improvements during the review of its 2024 General Rate Case, mitigating the financial burden on customers due to delays in decision-making.
- Customer Burden Mitigation: The CEO of California Water Service emphasized that the interim rate increase will alleviate the potential for higher retroactive recovery surcharges that could arise from delayed decisions, ensuring customers are not unduly impacted by future rate adjustments.
- Extensive Service Coverage: As the largest subsidiary of California Water Service Group, which serves over 2.1 million people across California and other states, this interim rate increase will help maintain service quality and reliability in its extensive operational footprint.







