Back to all newsAlyssa Bell files amicus brief in Palisades fire case on behalf of public water agencies
August 2026
On August 21, 2026, CW partner Alyssa Bell filed an amicus brief on behalf of several organizations representing state and national water providers in a class action lawsuit pending before California’s Second District Court of Appeal, Grigsby et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al., which seeks to hold a water utility responsible for wildfire damage. The outcome of this lawsuit stands to establish legal precedent that has far-reaching consequences for California water agencies and customers alike.
Alyssa's brief emphasizes the unique operational and regulatory responsibilities of water agencies, as well as the importance of preserving workable legal standards for agencies responsible for providing water service under extraordinary circumstances. "If a water utility can be held constitutionally liable in inverse condemnation whenever a wildfire outpaces the capacity of its system," the brief notes, "then every public water agency in the State becomes a potential defendant after every major fire, regardless of fault."
Read the full brief here.