Water System Engineering and Consulting
Town of Hingham • Hingham, MA
Solution Overview
Client:
Town of Hingham
Business Challenge:
- Transition utilities from private to public ownership
Solution:
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regulatory approvals
- Select a company to perform system operations
- Develop system regulations
- Provide capital cost forecasting
Results:
- Partnership with the town and MassDEP
- Regulatory reviews received rapid approvals
Challenge
Hingham’s water system serves all of Hingham, Hull, and parts of Cohasset, and is privately owned. After years of careful evaluation and debate, Hingham is taking the significant step of returning ownership of their water system to the community. Transitioning the system from private to public ownership is a multi-faceted effort that required a strategic and focused approach to manage the town’s complex issues. Hingham retained Environmental Partners (EP), Apex Companies' Infrastructure platform, to help guide them through this transition. EP was uniquely qualified, with experience assisting multiple communities with ownership transition for new utilities.
Solution
For this transition to be completed successfully and smoothly, several key issues were tackled, encompassing operations, regulations, financing, and a public information program. EP assisted the town in soliciting and selecting a company to perform the system operations, develop system regulations, provide capital cost forecasting, to complete the regulatory MassDEP approvals that were associated with this transition.
Results
This transition process required close coordination, ultimately a partnering-style relationship, with the town and with MassDEP to ensure that the transition went smoothly and without delays. The regulatory reviews, including submission of a DEP Business Plan, have successfully received rapid approvals.