Pérez Introduces Bill to Increase Transparency for Altadena Water Rate Hikes (Photo – Office of Sen. Perez)
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) is authoring legislation aimed at ensuring Eaton Fire survivors in Altadena have an opportunity to weigh in before mutual water companies can raise rates.
By News Desk
The proposal, Senate Bill 1417, known as the Mutual Water Company Rate Disclosure and Fair Notice Act, would require mutual water companies to comply with specified public notice and meeting requirements before implementing water rate increases.
Altadena is served by three mutual water companies that provide water services to residents. Following the Eaton Fire, many residents facing financial hardship have experienced rising water costs and expressed concerns about affordability.
According to Pérez, mutual water companies are not subject to the same consumer protections and transparency requirements as public water providers, leaving residents with fewer safeguards and less insight into decisions affecting water service and rates.
Meanwhile, the California Association of Mutual Water Companies pushed back on the proposal. In a statement, executive director Adán Ortega said the group supports transparency in principle but warned that SB 1417 would affect “every mutual water company across California.” He argued that while some provisions around notice could be reasonable, other parts of the bill could expose sensitive customer and volunteer information and “create a dangerous, legal pathway to doxxing,” raising concerns about privacy and safety for board members and residents.
In addition to establishing notice and meeting requirements for rate increases, SB 1417 would require mutual water companies to provide company records upon request by an eligible person. The legislation would also reinforce existing law stating that a mutual water company may not hold a shareholder’s tenant directly responsible for water service.
Speaking at a press conference in Altadena on Friday, Pérez said the measure is intended to give residents greater transparency and participation in decisions that affect their water bills.
“Water is essential to our daily lives, yet it is something many of us take for granted every time we turn on the faucet,” Pérez said. “But behind that simple act are governance structures and financial decisions that can directly affect what families pay, as we are seeing in Altadena following the Eaton Fire, where people are now being blindsided by higher water service costs and a real lack of transparency.”
Pérez said SB 1417 would require mutual water companies to provide public notice and hold public meetings before imposing rate increases.
“Without adequate accountability, residents are forced to bear increasing costs without having meaningful opportunity to understand, question or influence those decisions,” Pérez said. “Fire survivors deserve to be informed about their water companies’ actions so they can have a meaningful voice in the process.”
SB 1417 is scheduled to be considered by the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee on Wednesday.
[This article has been updated to include a link and a statement from the California Assn. of Mutual Water Companies, June 20, 2026.]
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