CPUC Sets Aug. 25 Hearing on Proposed Norwalk Water Sale
The California Public Utilities Commission has scheduled a public participation hearing on Golden State Water Company’s proposed purchase of Norwalk’s Artesia Service Area and associated public utility assets from the City of Norwalk.
The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2026. The proceeding is identified as CPUC Application 26-01-015.
The hearing is the next public step in a proposed transaction that could change who owns and oversees the Artesia water system serving part of Norwalk. Golden State Water Company is seeking authorization from the state regulator to acquire the service area and related assets from the city.
What the application covers
The application concerns the Artesia Service Area, a specific portion of Norwalk’s water system. It also covers associated public utility assets connected to that service area.
That scope is narrower than a transfer of all water service in Norwalk. The proceeding identifies the City of Norwalk as the seller and the Artesia Service Area as the portion of the utility system covered by the request.
Golden State Water Company’s filing is a request for authorization. It does not mean the purchase has been completed or that the company has already taken ownership of the system.
Why the hearing matters
The California Public Utilities Commission regulates the proceeding and will provide a formal setting for public participation. Residents and other members of the public will have an opportunity to address the proposed acquisition at the scheduled hearing.
The transaction could affect the ownership and regulatory oversight of the Artesia water system. That makes the hearing relevant to people connected to the portion of Norwalk’s water service included in the application, even though the proceeding does not cover the entire city water system.
The application and hearing notice establish the proposed transfer and the public meeting date. They do not establish whether customer water rates would increase or decrease. Any rate change would require separate support in a rate-related regulatory record rather than being assumed from the proposed ownership change.
The CPUC’s notice also does not identify a proposed purchase price or specify how many customers or facilities are included in the Artesia Service Area. Those details are separate from the basic hearing information released for Application 26-01-015.
Decision remains ahead
The Aug. 25 hearing is not the final decision on the acquisition. As of Aug. 10, 2026, the CPUC had not issued a final approval or denial in the proceeding.
The commission’s eventual action will determine whether Golden State Water Company receives authorization to complete the proposed purchase. Until that action occurs, the ownership change remains under consideration.
For Norwalk, the immediate development is the scheduled public hearing—not a completed change in water-system ownership. The case will continue under CPUC Application 26-01-015, with the proposed acquisition of the Artesia Service Area and related public utility assets before the commission.
Sources
- Golden State Water Company proposed acquisition of City of Norwalk, California Public Utilities Commission
- Ordinance No. 26-1768 (ZTA No. 2026-01), California State Clearinghouse
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