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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and include the Company's accounts and those of its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, the consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments that are necessary to provide a fair presentation of the results for the periods covered.

The preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the consolidated balance sheet dates and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods presented. These include, but are not limited to, estimates and assumptions used in determining the Company's regulatory asset and liability balances based upon probability assessments of regulatory recovery, utility plant useful lives, revenues earned but not yet billed, asset retirement obligations, allowance for doubtful accounts, pension and other employee benefit plan liabilities, and income tax-related assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Operating Revenue

The following table disaggregates the Company’s operating revenue by source for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017:



	2019		2018		2017
Revenue from contracts with customers	$	664,358	$	674,736	$	622,474
Regulatory balancing account revenue	50,199		23,460		53,639
Total operating revenue	$	714,557	$	698,196	$	676,113

Revenue from contracts with customers

The Company principally generates operating revenue from contracts with customers by providing regulated water and wastewater services at tariff-rates authorized by the Commissions in the states in which they operate and non-regulated water and wastewater services at rates authorized by contracts with government agencies. Revenue from contracts with customers reflects amounts billed for the volume of consumption at authorized per unit rates, for a service charge, and for other authorized charges.

The Company satisfies its performance obligation to provide water and wastewater services over time as services are rendered. The Company applies the invoice practical expedient and recognizes revenue from contracts with customers in the amount for which the Company has a right to invoice. The Company has a right to invoice for the volume of consumption, for the service charge, and for other authorized charges.

The measurement of sales to customers is generally based on the reading of their meters, which occurs on a systematic basis throughout the month. At the end of each month, the Company estimates consumption since the date of the last meter reading and a corresponding unbilled revenue is recognized. The estimate is based upon the number of unbilled days that month and the average daily customer billing rate from the previous month (which fluctuates based upon customer usage).

Contract terms are generally short-term and at will by customers and, as a result, no separate financing component is recognized for the Company's collections from customers, which generally require payment within 30 days of billing. The Company applies judgment, based principally on historical payment experience, in estimating its customers’ ability to pay.

Certain customers are not billed for volumetric consumption, but are instead billed a flat rate at the beginning of each monthly service period. The amount billed is initially deferred and subsequently recognized over the monthly service period, as the performance obligation is satisfied. The deferred revenue balance or contract liability, which is included in "other accrued liabilities" on the consolidated balance sheets, is inconsequential.

In the following table, revenue from contracts with customers is disaggregated by class of customers for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017:



	2019		2018		2017
Residential	$	446,323	$	450,062	$	415,893
Business	129,223		130,041		118,279
Industrial	31,857		34,236		28,905
Public authorities	33,862		34,511		31,671
Other*	23,093		25,886		27,726
Total revenue from contracts with customers	$	664,358	$	674,736	$	622,474

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* Other includes accrued unbilled revenue

Regulatory balancing account revenue

The Company’s ability to recover revenue requirements authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in its triennial General Rate Case (GRC), is decoupled from the volume of the sales. Regulatory balancing account revenue is revenue related to rate mechanisms authorized in California by the CPUC, which allow the Company to recover the authorized revenue and are not considered contracts with customers. These mechanisms include the following:

The Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism (WRAM) allows the Company to recognize the adopted level of volumetric revenues. The variance between adopted volumetric revenues and actual billed volumetric revenues for metered accounts is recorded as regulatory balancing account revenue.

Cost-recovery rates, such as the Modified Cost Balancing Account (MCBA), Conservation Balancing Account, Pension Cost Balancing Account, and Health Cost Balancing Account, generally provide for recovery of the adopted levels of expenses for purchased water, purchased power, pump taxes, water conservation program costs, pension, and health care. Variances between adopted and actual costs are recorded as regulatory balancing account revenue.

Each district's WRAM and MCBA regulatory assets and liabilities are allowed to be netted against one another. The Company recognizes regulatory balancing account revenues that have been authorized for rate recovery, are objectively determinable and probable of recovery, and are expected to be collected within 24 months. To the extent that regulatory balancing account revenue is estimated to be collectible beyond 24 months, recognition is deferred.

Non-Regulated Revenue

The following tables disaggregate the Company’s non-regulated revenue by source for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017:



	2019		2018		2017
Operating and maintenance revenue	$	12,655	$	10,392	$	8,621
Other non-regulated revenue	4,271		5,413		5,262
Non-regulated revenue from contracts with customers	$	16,926	$	15,805	$	13,883
Lease revenue	2,279		2,467		2,015
Total non-regulated revenue	$	19,205	$	18,272	$	15,898

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company provides an allowance for doubtful accounts receivable. The allowance is based upon specific identified accounts plus an estimate of uncollectible accounts based upon historical percentages.

Utility Plant

Utility plant is carried at original cost when first constructed or purchased, or at fair value when acquired through acquisition. When depreciable plant is retired, the cost is eliminated from utility plant accounts and such costs are charged against accumulated depreciation. Maintenance of utility plant is charged to operating expenses as incurred. Maintenance projects are not accrued for in advance.

Intangible assets acquired as part of water systems purchased are recorded at fair value. All other intangibles have been recorded at cost and are amortized over their useful life.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset Retirement Obligation

The Company has a legal obligation to retire wells in accordance with State Water Resources Control Board regulations. In addition, upon decommission of a wastewater plant or lift station certain wastewater infrastructure would need to be retired in accordance with State Water Resources Control Board regulations.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash

Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with remaining maturities of three months or less at the time of acquisition.

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

Because the Company operates almost exclusively in a regulated business, the Company is subject to the accounting standards for regulated utilities. The Commissions in the states in which the Company operates establish rates that are designed to permit the recovery of the cost of service and a return on investment. The Company capitalizes and records regulatory assets for costs that would otherwise be charged to expense if it is probable that the incurred costs will be recovered in future rates. Regulatory assets are amortized over the future periods that the costs are expected to be recovered. If costs expected to be incurred in the future are currently being recovered through rates, the Company records those expected future costs as regulatory liabilities. In general, the Company does not earn a return on regulatory assets if the related costs do not accrue interest. Accordingly, the Company earns a return only on its regulatory assets for net WRAM and MCBA, pension cost balancing account, health cost balancing account, and interim rates receivable. In addition, the Company records regulatory liabilities when the Commissions require a refund to be made to the Company's customers over future periods.

Determining probability requires significant judgment by management and includes, but is not limited to, consideration of testimony presented in regulatory hearings, proposed regulatory decisions, final regulatory orders, and the strength or status of applications for rehearing or state court appeals.

If the Company determines that a portion of the Company's assets used in utility operations is not recoverable in customer rates, the Company would be required to recognize the loss of the assets disallowed.

Cal Water submitted its 2018 GRC with the CPUC in July of 2019. As of February 27, 2020, the GRC approval is still pending.

Regulatory assets and liabilities were comprised of the following as of December 31:



	Recovery Period	2019		2018
Regulatory Assets
Pension and retiree group health	Indefinitely	$	208,321	$	156,947
Property-related temporary differences (tax benefits flowed through to customers)	Indefinitely	104,931		99,376
Other accrued benefits	Indefinitely	20,030		20,588
Net WRAM and MCBA long-term accounts receivable	1-2 years	25,465		17,134
Asset retirement obligations, net	Indefinitely	19,567		18,197
Interim rates long-term accounts receivable	1 year	4,642		4,642
Tank coating	10 years	13,535		11,196
Recoverable property losses	10 years	5,000		1,275
Pension cost balancing account	1 year	21,465		16,494
Other components of net periodic benefit cost	Indefinitely	5,145		3,221
Other regulatory assets	Various	5,221		4,499
Total Regulatory Assets		$	433,322	$	353,569
Regulatory Liabilities
Future tax benefits due to customers		$	194,501	$	180,205
Health cost balancing account		4,271		3,516
Conservation program		2,742		6,880
Net WRAM and MCBA long-term payable		211		222
Tax accounting memorandum account		806		5,039
Cost of capital memorandum account		151		2,834
1,2,3 trichloropropane settlement proceeds		8,426		12,142
Other regulatory liabilities		305		437
Total Regulatory Liabilities		$	211,413	$	211,275

The Company's pension and postretirement health care benefits regulatory asset represents the unfunded obligation of the Company’s pension and postretirement benefit plans which the Company expects to recover from customers in the future for these plans. These plans are discussed in further detail in Note 11. The pension cost balancing account regulatory asset and the health cost balancing account regulatory liability represent incurred pension and healthcare costs that exceeded/was below the cost recovery in rates and is recoverable/refundable from/to customers. The other components of net periodic benefit cost regulatory asset are authorized by the Commissions and are probable for rate recovery through the capital program.

The property-related temporary differences are primarily due to: (i) the difference between book and federal income tax depreciation on utility plant that was placed in service before the regulatory Commissions adopted normalization for rate making purposes; and (ii) certain (state) deferred taxes for which flow through accounting continues to be applied to originating deferred

taxes. The regulatory asset will be recovered in rates in future periods as the tax effects of the temporary differences previously flowed-through to customers reverse.

Other accrued benefits are accrued benefits for vacation, self-insured workers' compensation, and directors' retirement benefits. The net WRAM and MCBA long-term accounts receivable is the under-collected portion of recorded revenues that are not expected to be collected from customers within 12 months.

The asset retirement obligation regulatory asset represents the difference between costs associated with asset retirement obligations and amounts collected in rates. Tank coating represents the maintenance costs for tank coating projects that are recoverable from customers.

The future tax benefits due to customers primarily resulted from federal tax law changes enacted by the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) on December 22, 2017. The TCJA reduced the federal corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent beginning on January 1, 2018, and GAAP requires the Company to re-measure all existing deferred income tax assets and liabilities to reflect the reduction in the federal tax rate on the enactment date. The Company is working with state regulators to finalize the ratepayer refund process to ensure compliance with federal normalization rules.

The conservation program regulatory liability is for incurred conservation costs that were below the cost recovery in rates and is refundable to customers.

The tax accounting and cost of capital memorandum account regulatory liabilities are related to the estimated customer refunds due to changes in the federal income tax rate and to the March 22, 2018 cost of capital decision for Cal Water

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets, Intangibles and Goodwill

The Company's long-lived assets include transmission and distribution plant, equipment, land, buildings, and intangible assets. Long-lived assets, other than land, are depreciated or amortized over their estimated useful lives, and are reviewed for impairment whenever changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Such circumstances would include items such as a significant decrease in the market value of a long-lived asset, a significant adverse change in the manner in which the asset is being used or planned to be used or in its physical condition, or a history of operating or cash flow losses associated with the uses of the asset. In addition, changes in the expected useful life of these long-lived assets may also be an impairment indicator. When such events or changes occur, the Company estimates the fair value of the asset from future cash flows expected to result from the use and, if applicable, the eventual disposition of the assets, and compare that to the carrying value of the asset. If the carrying value is greater than the fair value, then an impairment loss is recognized equal to the amount by which the asset's carrying value exceeds its fair value. The key variables that must be estimated include assumptions regarding sales volume, rates, operating costs, labor and other benefit costs, capital additions, assumed discount rates and other economic factors. These variables require significant management judgment and include inherent uncertainties since they are forecasting future events. A variation in the assumptions used could lead to a different conclusion regarding the realizability of an asset and, thus could have a significant effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill is measured as the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the sum of the amounts assigned to identifiable assets acquired less liabilities assumed. Goodwill is not amortized but instead is reviewed annually at November 30th for impairment or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. The impairment test is performed at the reporting unit level using a two- step, fair-value based approach. The first step determines the fair value of the reporting unit and compares it to the reporting unit's carrying value. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, a second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. The second step allocates the fair value of the reporting unit to the Company's tangible and intangible

assets and liabilities. This derives an implied fair value for the reporting unit's goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized equal to the excess.

Long-Term Debt Premium, Discount and Expense

The premiums, discounts, and issuance expenses on long-term debt are amortized over the original lives of the related debt on a straight-line basis which approximates the effective interest method. Premiums paid on the early redemption of certain debt and the unamortized original issuance discount and expense are amortized over the life of new debt issued in conjunction with the early redemption.

Advances for Construction

Advances for construction consist of payments received from developers for installation of water production and distribution facilities to serve new developments. Advances are excluded from rate base for rate setting purposes. Annual refunds are made to developers without interest. Advances of $191.1 million, and $186.3 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, will be refunded primarily over a 40-year period in equal annual amounts.

Contributions in Aid of Construction

Contributions in aid of construction represent payments received from developers, primarily for fire protection purposes, which are not subject to refunds. Facilities funded by contributions are included in utility plant, but excluded from rate base. Depreciation related to assets acquired from contributions is charged to the Contributions in Aid of Construction account.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Measurement of the deferred tax assets and liabilities is at enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company evaluates the need for a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets based on historical taxable income and projected taxable income for future tax years.

Historically the Commissions reduced revenue requirements for the tax effects of certain originating temporary differences and allowed recovery of these tax costs as the related temporary differences reverse. The Commissions have granted the Company rate increases to reflect the normalization of the tax benefits of the federal accelerated methods and available Investment Tax Credits (ITC) for all assets placed in service after 1980. ITCs are deferred and amortized over the lives of the related properties for book purposes. The CPUC sets rates utilizing the flow through method of accounting for state income taxes.

Subsequent to 1986, Advances for Construction and Contributions in Aid of Construction were taxable for federal income tax purposes. Subsequent to 1991, Advances for Construction and Contributions in Aid of Construction were subject to California income tax. Due to changes in the federal tax law in 1996 and the California tax law in 1997 only deposits for new services were taxable. In late 2000, federal regulations were further modified to exclude contributions of fire services from taxable income. With the enactment of the TCJA, all Advances for Construction and Contributions in Aid of Construction received from developers after December 22, 2017 became taxable for federal income tax purposes.

The accounting standards for accounting for uncertainty in income taxes allows the inclusion of interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income taxes.

Workers' Compensation

For workers' compensation, the Company estimates the liability associated with claims submitted and claims not yet submitted based on historical data. Expenses for workers compensation insurance are included in rates on a pay-as- you-go basis. Therefore, a corresponding regulatory asset has been recorded.

Earnings per Share

The computations of basic and diluted earnings per share are noted below. Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts were exercised or converted into common stock. Restricted Stock Awards (RSAs) are included in the common shares outstanding because the shares have all the same voting and dividend rights as issued and unrestricted common stock. Restricted Stock Unit Awards (RSUs) are not included in diluted shares for financial reporting until authorized by the Organization & Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award. The Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period.

Comprehensive Income or Loss

Comprehensive income for all periods presented was the same as net income.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The Company did not have any accumulated other comprehensive income or loss transactions as of December 31, 2019 and 2018.

New Accounting Standards

Adoption of New Accounting Standards in 2019

In February of 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance on leases, with amendments in 2018. The guidance requires lessees to recognize an asset and liability on the balance sheet for all of their lease obligations. Operating leases were previously not recognized on the balance sheet.

The Company adopted the standard using the modified retrospective method for its existing leases and did not restate its comparative periods in the period of adoption. The Company completed its review of its lease portfolio including significant

leases and the Company designed and implemented new controls as part of the adoption of the new standard. The implementation increased lease assets and lease liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet by $13.8 million as of January 1, 2019.

The Company elected certain practical expedients and carried forward historical conclusions related to (1) contracts that contain leases, (2) existing lease classification for any expired or existing leases, and (3) initial direct costs for any existing leases. The Company also applied the practical expedient that allowed the Company to elect, as an accounting policy, by asset class, to include both lease and non-lease components as a single component and account for it as a lease. The Company applied the short-term lease exception which allowed the Company to not have to apply the recognition requirements of the new leasing guidance for short-term leases and to recognize lease payments in net income on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Otherwise, the new standard did not have a material impact on the remaining consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted in 2019

In June of 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which changed the impairment model for certain financial assets that have a contractual right to receive cash, including trade and loan receivables. The new model required recognition based upon an estimation of expected credit losses rather than recognition of losses when it is probable that they have been incurred. ASU 2016-13 was effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the standard utilizing the modified retrospective method for its trade receivables and unbilled revenue on January 1, 2020. Based on the composition of the Company’s trade receivables and unbilled revenue, and expected future losses, the adoption of ASU 2016-13 is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In January of 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminated step 2 of goodwill impairment test, which required a hypothetical purchase price allocation to measure goodwill impairment. Under the new guidance, a goodwill impairment loss will be measured at the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. ASU 2017-04 was effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for any impairment test performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2020 and the adoption of the standard is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In August of 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure for Fair Value Measurement, which modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. The modifications in this update eliminated, amended, and added disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 was effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. As required by the standard, the Company adopted the standard prospectively and retrospectively depending on the requirements of ASU 2018-13 on January 1, 2020. Since the Company, does not have level 3 fair value measurements or transfers between level 1 and level 2 fair value measurements, the Company does not expect the adoption of the standard to have a material impact on its footnote disclosures.