Town of Hingham Water Acquisition Letter to Customers

July 20, 2020

Dear Water Customer,
We are pleased to announce that, effective August 1, 2020, and for the first time since 1879, the Town of Hingham anticipates owning your water system – which has been renamed the Weir River Water System.  This transition will mark the culmination of nearly 9 years’ worth of work by citizen volunteers, staff, and external partners from Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset. It will be a historic day for us all.

Since receiving Hingham Town Meeting approval in April 2019, we have been taking the necessary steps to transition the ownership of the water company from Aquarion. After a thorough and competitive procurement process that included representatives from Hingham and Hull, SUEZ was selected to operate and maintain the water system under the direction of the Board of Water Commissioners. SUEZ is an industry leader, with more than 150 years of experience in providing safe drinking water to communities throughout the United States. Most of the local Aquarion employees have accepted job offers with SUEZ, providing important continuity of operations and system knowledge.

Aquarion will continue to provide billing services (in partnership with SUEZ) for approximately six months after closing. In 2021, SUEZ will take over full customer billing operations, which will include the opening of a local customer service walk-in office.

Additional transition activities that have been completed include the preparation and approval of a business plan from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the hiring of a Water Superintendent, and the development of water system rules and regulations.

Hingham has also completed the financing for the acquisition.  As part of that process, the Town received the highest credit rating of Aaa from each of the three major credit rating agencies – Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P – on our Series 2020 General Obligation Bonds. This rating, combined with historically low interest rates, will benefit all water customers now and well into the future.  While you will be getting more information in the weeks to come, here are a few important things to know before August 1:

• Water service will not be interrupted by the ownership transfer.
• Water rates are unaffected by the ownership transfer.
• All customers will receive one final bill from Aquarion for service through July 31, 2020.
• Your normal billing cycle should not change.
• Water restrictions will remain in effect.
• Safety Valve water line protection plans are unaffected by the ownership transfer.

Additional important information can be found on the back of this letter or at www.weirriverwater.com. We recommend keeping this letter as a reference.

In closing, we are excited about our new ownership of the water system, our partnership with SUEZ, and the opportunity to help better serve our communities.

Sincerely,
Board of Water Commissioners, Weir River Water System
Mary Power Joseph Fisher William Ramsey


YOUR WATER UTILITY IS CHANGING OWNERSHIP

Effective August 1, 2020, your water system will be owned by the Town of Hingham and will be  renamed the Weir River Water System.  Your water service will not be interrupted by this ownership change.  We have summarized for you below important information about this transition:


Water system operations

After a thorough and competitive procurement process that included representatives from Hingham and Hull, SUEZ was selected to operate and maintain the water system.  SUEZ is an industry leader, with more than 150 years of experience in providing safe drinking water to communities throughout the United States.  Most of the local Aquarion employees have accepted job offers with SUEZ, providing important continuity of operations and system knowledge.

Water quality SUEZ has extensive experience in providing the highest quality water to its customers. SUEZ has procedures in place to treat, test, and maintain water quality to meet or exceed standards set forth by the MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Service issues or concerns

Should you need to report any discolored water, main breaks, or have a general water quality  concern, please contact SUEZ Customer Service at 1-781-740-6695.

Water restrictions

Water restrictions will remain in effect. Watering by sprinkler or irrigation systems is allowed on customers’ assigned days before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.  Customer assigned watering days are as follows:
         Odd addresses: Tuesdays and/or Saturdays
         Even addresses and homes with no street numbers: Wednesdays and/or Sundays

Customer billing

Aquarion, under the Weir River Water System name, will continue to provide customer billing (in partnership with SUEZ) for approximately six months after closing. In 2021, SUEZ will take over full customer billing operations.

Water meter and billing inquiries should continue to be directed to Aquarion Customer Service at 1-800-732-9678 or cs@aquarionwater.com.

Receiving and paying final Aquarion bill

In early August, you will receive one final bill from Aquarion for water usage through July 31, 2020. This bill can be paid using any of the currently available methods offered by Aquarion.


Receiving and paying Weir River Water System bills

You will receive water bills from Aquarion for the Weir River Water System for water usage commencing as of August 1, 2020. Water rates, your billing cycle, and the format of your water bill will be unaffected.  All customers will receive a new account number, which should be referenced when paying online or by mail. You will receive more detailed information with your first Weir River Water System bill.


Additional information

Additional customer information can be found at www.weirriverwater.com.

PLEASE KEEP THIS LETTER AS A REFERENCE