General

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods.

The unaudited interim financial information has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in SJW Group’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K should be read with the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in generally accepted accounting principles. The updated guidance also requires additional disclosures regarding the nature, timing and uncertainty of revenue transactions. SJW Group adopted the new revenue standard on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method, and determined that no adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings was necessary for contracts with remaining obligations as of the effective date. In addition, SJW Group applied the “right to invoice” practical expedient. The adoption of the new standard requires certain changes to the recognition of balancing and memorandum account revenue and related costs (See Note 9, “Balancing and Memorandum Accounts”). However, the changes did not have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. Concurrently, the company implemented ASU 2017-10, “Identifying the Customer in a Service Concession Arrangement.” Upon adoption of ASU 2017-10, the service concession fee paid to the City of Cupertino was determined to be an up-front payment and accordingly will be amortized as a reduction to future revenue as opposed to amortized as an expense on SJW Group’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments - Overall” which changes the recognition of changes in fair value of financial liabilities when the fair value option is elected. In addition, the standard requires equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income instead of through other comprehensive income. The updated guidance affects the accounting for the company’s equity investment in California Water Service Group stock classified as an available-for-sale security (see Note 7 and Note 11 of “Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements”). The new standard became effective for SJW Group beginning in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. Prior to adoption of ASU 2016-01, SJW Group recognized changes in fair value of its equity investment in California Water Service Group stock through other comprehensive income or loss on the statement of comprehensive income. Upon adoption on January 1, 2018, SJW Group began recording the change in fair value of its equity investment in other income and expense. In addition, the ASU stated that entities should apply the new standard by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. As such, SJW Group recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment of $2,203 to beginning retained earnings to eliminate the cumulative change in fair value of its equity investment, net of tax from accumulated other comprehensive income.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory,” which modifies existing guidance and is intended to reduce diversity in practice with respect to accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets. The ASU requires that the current and deferred income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets be immediately recognized. Prior guidance allowed the entities to defer the consolidated tax consequences of an intercompany transfer of an asset other than inventory to a future period and amortize those tax consequences over time. SJW Group adopted ASU 2016-16 effective January 1, 2018. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-16, SJW Group did not record a unamortized tax expense. As a result, the company did not record a cumulative catch-up adjustments upon adoption of this ASU.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, “Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Costs,” which requires employers to present the service cost component of the net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The standard provides that only the service cost component of net periodic pension costs is eligible for asset capitalization. Companies should present the other components of net periodic benefit costs separately from the line items that include the service cost and outside of any subtotal of operating income, if one is presented. ASU 2017-07 requires retrospective presentation in the income statement of the service cost component and the other components of net periodic cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost and prospective presentation from date of adoption for the capitalization in assets of only the service cost component of net periodic cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. SJW Group adopted ASU 2017-07 effective January 1, 2018. As such, the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the periods presented have been reclassified to reflect the retrospective changes. See Note 4 of “Defined Benefit Plan” for further discussion.

Revenue

Water sales are seasonal in nature and influenced by weather conditions. The timing of precipitation and climatic conditions can cause seasonal water consumption by customers to vary significantly. Due to the seasonal nature of the water business, the operating results for interim periods are not indicative of the operating results for a 12-month period. Revenue is generally higher in the warm, dry summer months when water usage and sales are greater, and lower in the winter months when cooler temperatures and increased rainfall curtail water usage and sales.

On January 1, 2018, SJW Group adopted FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606 - “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” In accordance with Topic 606, management has determined that the company has principally four categories of revenues. The first category, revenue from contracts with customers, represents metered revenue of Water Utility Services which includes billings to customers based on meter readings plus an estimate of water used between the customers’ last meter reading and the end of the accounting period. SJW Group satisfies its performance obligation upon delivery of water to the customer at which time the customer consumes the benefits provided by the company. The customer is typically billed on a bi-monthly basis after water delivery has occurred. The customer is charged both a service charge which is based upon meter size and covers a portion of the fixed costs of furnishing water to the customer and a consumption charge based on actual water usage. Unbilled revenue from the last meter reading date to the end of the accounting period is estimated based on the most recent usage patterns, production records and the effective tariff rates. As the company has the right to bill for services that it has provided, SJW Group estimates the dollar value of deliveries during the unbilled period and recognizes the associated revenue. Actual results could differ from those estimates, which may result in an adjustment to revenue when billed in a subsequent period. The second category, rental income, represents lease rental income from SJW Land Company tenants. The tenants pay monthly in accordance with lease agreements and SJW Group recognizes the income ratably over the lease term as this is the most representative of the pattern in which the benefit is expected to be derived from SJW Group’s underlying asset. The third and fourth revenue categories are other balancing and memorandum accounts and alternative revenue programs. Both are scoped out of Topic 606 and are accounted for under FASB ASC Topic 980 - “Regulated Operations.” Balancing and memorandum accounts are recognized by San Jose Water Company when it is probable that future recovery of previously incurred costs or future refunds that are to be credited to customers will occur through the ratemaking process. In addition, in the case of special revenue programs such as the Water Conservation Memorandum Account (“WCMA”), San Jose Water Company follows the requirements of ASC Topic 980-605-25, “Alternative Revenue Programs” in determining revenue recognition, including the requirement that such revenues will be collected within 24 months of the year-end in which the revenue is recorded. A reserve is recorded for amounts SJW Group estimates will not be collected within the 24-month period. This reserve is based on an estimate of actual usage over the recovery period, offset by applicable drought surcharges. In assessing the probability criteria for balancing and memorandum accounts between general rate cases, San Jose Water Company considers evidence that may exist prior to California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) authorization that would satisfy ASC Topic 980 subtopic 340-25 recognition criteria. Such evidence may include regulatory rules and decisions, past practices, and other facts and circumstances that would indicate that recovery or refund is probable. When such evidence provides sufficient support, the balances are recorded in SJW Group’s financial statements.

From 2014 to 2016, California was in a severe drought. In response to the drought, the State Water Resources Control Board (the “State Water Board”) imposed mandatory water use restrictions and conservation targets. The Santa Clara Valley Water District (“SCVWD”), San Jose Water Company’s principal water supplier, also mandated water use restrictions along with conservation targets at levels higher than the State Water Board. While the Governor of California declared the drought over on April 7, 2017, the State Water Board made certain water use restrictions permanent while SCVWD maintained a conservation target at 20%.

On May 31, 2018, Governor Edmund G. Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1668 and Senate Bill 606. Both bills set an initial limit for indoor water use of 55 gallons per person per day by 2022 and reduced the limit further to 50 gallons per person per day by 2030. Implementation details remain to be developed as to how local water providers will meet this mandate as well as to how the CPUC will direct its regulated utilities to comply.

To encourage conservation, San Jose Water Company received approval from the CPUC to implement a Mandatory Conservation Revenue Adjustment Memorandum Account in 2014. This account was subsequently replaced with a WCMA. The WCMA allows San Jose Water Company to track lost revenue, net of related water costs, associated with reduced sales due to water conservation and associated calls for water use reductions. San Jose Water Company records the lost revenue captured in the WCMA regulatory accounts once the revenue recognition requirements of FASB ASC Topic 980 - “Regulated Operations,” subtopic 605-25 are met. For further discussion, please see Note 8 and Note 9.

The major streams of revenue for SJW Group are as follows:



	Three months ended September 30,					Nine months ended September 30,
	2018			2017		2018			2017
Revenue from contracts with customers	$	120,007		125,722		$	294,319		290,146
Alternative revenue programs, net - WCMA	4,193			1,333		7,794			11,248
Other balancing and memorandum accounts revenue, net *	(788		)	(3,868	)	(7,235		)	(9,979	)
Rental income	1,441			1,391		4,103			4,281
	$	124,853		124,578		$	298,981		295,696

* The balances for three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, exclude $2,527 and $3,556, respectively, of amounts related to cost-recovery balancing accounts which upon adoption of Topic 606 are recorded as capitalized costs rather than revenue until recovery is approved by the CPUC. Prior to adoption of Topic 606, these amounts were recorded as revenue. For further discussion, please see Note 9.

Income Taxes

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) (the “Tax Act”) was signed into law. Among other things, the Tax Act permanently lowers the corporate statutory tax rate to 21% from the previous maximum rate of 35%, effective for tax years including or commencing January 1, 2018. See Note 8 and Note 9, for discussion on the effect of the Tax Act on SJW Group’s regulatory activities.

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share is calculated using income available to common stockholders, divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is calculated using income available to common stockholders divided by the weighted average number of shares of common stock including both shares outstanding and shares potentially issuable in connection with deferred restricted common stock awards under SJW Group’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended, the “Incentive Plan”) and shares potentially issuable under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). For the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, 306 and 683 anti-dilutive restricted common stock units were excluded from the dilutive earnings per share calculation, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, and 2017, 3,562 and 3,670 anti-dilutive restricted common stock units were excluded from the dilutive earnings per share calculation, respectively.

Utility Plant Depreciation

A portion of depreciation expense is allocated to administrative and general expense. For the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the amounts allocated to administrative and general expense were $575 and $551, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, and 2017, the amounts allocated to administrative and general expense were $1,728 and $1,660, respectively.