SB 1153 (Caballero)
As wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive across California, misunderstandings of the limitations of public water systems have led to unrealistic public expectations, and the financial burden of litigation ultimately is borne by ratepayers, impacting water affordability.
ACWA is sponsoring SB 1153 (Caballero, D - Merced) which would establish that water supply or pressure limitations during a wildfire are not a substantial cause of wildfire damages and that wildfire spread is not an inherent risk of water system design. The bill would make key findings and declarations regarding the roles and limitations of public water systems in responding to wildfires.
SB 1153 would also strengthen wildfire preparedness for public water systems in high-risk fire areas by requiring urban retail water suppliers serving high or very high fire hazard severity zones to include wildfire-specific incident response procedures in their emergency response plans, beginning January 1, 2028.
By improving wildfire planning and resilience while recognizing the physical and financial limits of water infrastructure, this bill protects ratepayers, supports emergency response, and ensures the long-term reliability of California’s drinking water systems.
Please complete the following questions to be added to ACWA's coalition in support of SB 1153. If you have any questions regarding this survey, please email Jen Stein at JenS@acwa.com.