Local provider Rainier View Water is acquired by larger Washington Water Service
A California-based utilities conglomerate is acquiring the Rainier View Water Company, which serves the Artondale and Olympic Village areas, among others, on the Gig Harbor Peninsula.
Washington Water Service, which serves 46,500 customers in the state across eight counties including portions of Pierce, King, Kitsap, Mason and Thurston, announced last week that it plans to buy out the smaller local water company.
Puyallup-based Rainier View Water Company, has a 35,000-customer base.
The deal is subject to Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approval. It was announced Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Rainier View owns and operates 27 water systems. Besides parts of Gig Harbor, its service area includes parts of Graham, Spanaway, and Puyallup
Matt Brown, general manager of Washington Water, told the Gateway on Tuesday that Rainier customers will not see any change for several months, and their water rates will remain the same even after the merger.
“Customers water rates will not change,” he said.
Rainier View currently serves customers in the Artondale area, as well as the area around the Olympic Village shopping center. Washington Water serves mainly customers north and east of city of Gig Harbor, including Point Evans and Peacock Hill. Both systems are fed by wells.
According to a news release announcing the deal, Washington Water will take on Rainier View’s employees and become the service provider for that company’s customers if approved by UTC.
“One thing that makes this such a good fit is that we share Rainier View Water’s commitment to its employees and its customers,” California Water Service Group’s president and CEO Martin A. Kropelnicki said in the release.
“Our purpose as a company is to improve the quality of life for those we serve, and I look forward to welcoming Rainier View Water employees into our family and supporting them as they continue to provide quality, service, and value to customers,” Kropelnicki said.
Washington Water is a subsidiary of California Water Service Group, which includes California Water Service, New Mexico Water Service, Hawaii Water Service, HWS Utility Services and CWS Utility Services.
Cal Water alone is the largest regulated American water utility west of the Mississippi and the third largest in the country, according to its website.
Debbie Cockrell of The News Tribune contributed to this story.
CORRECTION: An earlier headline on this story omitted the word “View” from the name of Rainier View Water Company
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 12:00 AM.