California American Water tells Bell Gardens council it has invested $9 million in the Bellflower water system

Agatha Kotani, principal of business development at California American Water, told the Bell Gardens City Council during public comment on May 11 that the company has invested $9,000,000 in the Bellflower water system since acquiring it in 2022 and expects that total to reach $13,000,000 next year.

"Since acquiring the Bellflower Water System in 2022, California American Water has invested $9,000,000 in infrastructure upgrades," Kotani said, and added that the company plans further work to improve reliability and longevity.

Kotani described specific upgrades she said the company has undertaken: replacing nearly 20,000 linear feet (about five miles) of aging asbestos-cement mains with new ductile iron pipes, and relocating water meters from backyards to front yards so meter readers will not need to enter private property. She said these steps are intended to improve service reliability and residents' quality of life.

She also summarized community-support work, saying California American Water provided more than $1,000,000 in direct support in 2025 through its foundation, that employees raised more than $65,000 and logged nearly 600 volunteer hours with local nonprofits, and that the company partners with organizations such as Wayfinder Family Services, the Los Cerritos YMCA, the LA Fire Department Foundation and Selah Kiwanis.

Kotani said the company participates in assistance programs and that "roughly 1 in 11 households will qualify for this discount," and she cited statewide figures, saying more than 27,000 households received over $5,700,000 in direct assistance last year. Those numbers were presented by Kotani as company-provided figures and were not verified during the meeting.

The city clerk confirmed there were no other callers or written comments; the council then closed public participation and, at the city attorney's announcement, recessed into closed session to discuss the two items listed on the agenda. The council recessed at 5:14 p.m. and planned to reconvene in open session at 6:00 p.m. or soon after; the city attorney said they would report back when the meeting returned to open session.