It’s a travesty! San Jose Water Company’s profits have surged from $17 million (2010) to $96 million (2024)

When San Jose Water’s profits surged during a drought in 2016—while residents were doing their part to conserve—Rishi Kumar knew something was wrong. The final straw came when the company filed a surcharge request, claiming “undercollection” because people conserved too much water. Outraged by this injustice, Rishi became a committed water rate activist.

Since 2016, Rishi has led the charge to oppose 10 different rate hike proposals by San Jose Water—successfully getting them rejected, reduced, or suspended. His fight began with a community forum he organized between residents, San Jose Water Company, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. That event sparked a movement.

Rishi’s approach was strategic and citizen-focused. He created a simple, repeatable process to file formal protests with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)—the agency that approves rate increases. He launched a public resource page and even developed a mobile app to make it easy for residents to submit their protest letters directly to the CPUC and the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA). Thousands joined in.

Rishi turned public frustration into action—and that action led to results. This is the kind of leadership he brings: data-driven, transparent, and always fighting for the people.