SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A coalition of organizations representing state and national water providers have filed a joint legal brief with the California Second District Court of Appeal in response to a lawsuit seeking to hold a water utility responsible for wildfire damage.
The lawsuit, Grigsby et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al.1, was filed in January 2025 following the Palisades wildfires. The joint brief emphasizes the unique operational and regulatory responsibilities of water agencies and the importance of preserving workable legal standards for agencies responsible for providing water service under extraordinary circumstances. A California Court of Appeal is on the verge of making a decision that will pose significant implications for water providers and customers.
Public water agencies provide the public with critical retail water service across the state. This includes delivering safe and reliable drinking water as well as an immediately available water service to aid in structural fire suppression. These domestic water systems were not designed to combat the expansive wildfires experienced today.
Public water systems have already taken actions to prepare for future wildfire events in recognition of the devastating impacts wildfires pose on communities. This includes investments to modernize aging infrastructure and develop emergency preparedness and response plans. If a water utility can be held liable whenever a wildfire outpaces the capacity of its system, then every public water agency in the State becomes a potential defendant after every major fire regardless of fault.
“While this wildfire devastated Southern California’s communities, public water systems can only aid firefighting activities and should not be held to an unrealistic standard of fully combating a wildfire,” said Caleb Raspler, Federal Relations Representative with the Association of California Water Agencies. “ACWA’s members remain committed to working with federal, state and local partners to implement methods and investments that deliver reliable water resources to communities throughout California, including in emergencies.”
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1 California Second District COA Case No. B353410, LA Superior Court Case No. 25-STCV-00832.
“The Palisades Wildfire was a tragedy, but it would be misguided to penalize local water systems for being unable to supply the immense quantities of water necessary to effectively fight the massive blaze,” said Dan Hartnett, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. “Public water systems across California and the U.S. need funding support to solidify their infrastructure, not penalties for failing to achieve fire suppression objectives that are beyond their regulatory mandates and design capabilities.”
The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) is the largest statewide coalition of public water agencies in the United States, organized and existing under the laws of the State of California since 1910. ACWA represents approximately 470 member agencies that are responsible for delivering about 90 percent of the water to communities, farms, and businesses in California. ACWA and its members are dedicated to providing a high-quality, reliable water supply in an environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible manner.
The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) is an is an organization of the largest publicly owned drinking water systems in the United States. AMWA’s members provide more than 140 million people across the country with safe drinking water, including nearly 40 million Californians. AMWA was established in 1981 and today the association works with federal policymakers to ensure that the interests of large publicly owned drinking water systems are represented in Washington, D.C.
CONTACT:
Association of California Water Agencies:
Heather Engel, Director of Communications
(916) 669-2387 | heathere@acwa.com
Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies:
Antoinette Barber, Director of Communications and Utility Management Programs
(202) 505-1251 | barber@amwa.net
