Hedlund, Bradley Lead Fight Against Water Price Increase in Hingham

On Monday, Attorney General Martha Coakley endorsed a bill filed by State Senator Robert L. Hedlund  and Representative Garrett Bradley  that would allow her to intervene on behalf of water utility customers.

The legislation is part of Senator Hedlund (R-Weymouth) and Rep. Bradley's (D-Hingham)  efforts against a proposed water rate increase by Aquarion Water Company, which would impact the towns of Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset.

The legislation seeks to give the Attorney General, the top Massachusetts consumer protection advocate, the same intervening power on behalf of water utility consumers that the office currently holds in cases involving gas, electricity and telecommunications utilities.

Currently, the attorney general’s office has no power to act on a town’s behalf in water rate cases. Municipalities often incur exorbitant legal bills while fighting rate hikes that are proposed by utilities, and intervention by the Attorney General would help mitigate these legal expenses. When other utility companies propose rate hikes, the attorney general’s office is authorized to provide legal assistance to the towns.

“The problem is that years ago when the DPU structure was set up, water wasn’t an issue. It was plentiful and it was cheap,” said Senator Hedlund, “Most water was distributed by municipalities, so there was no need for the attorney general’s office to get involved. Now that has changed in several communities.”

In a letter of support written to the Committee, Attorney General Coakley stated that “these are important and common sense changes, and this work would be a natural fit for the Office of Ratepayer Advocacy”.

Rep. Bradley said, "I am pleased that, after having a conversation with the office of Attorney General Martha Coakley last week, she has agreed to support the bill filed jointly by Senator Hedlund and myself.  This legislation will give towns such as Hingham and Hull another powerful ally in their fight to keep water rates low and ensure quality of service."

Hedlund called Aquarion’s current rate hike proposal “the most outrageous one yet,” rebuffing the notion that escalating costs have created the need for a 16.5% increase on monthly bills.

“If the average water bill in Cohasset right now is $742 dollars which is already too high, and with this proposed increase jumps to $846 dollars, I say that represents an unreasonable rate to pay for a year’s worth of water no matter the escalating costs facing Aquarion,” said Hedlund. “I am standing with the ratepayers in these towns who need a voice of reason like the Attorney General to step in and mitigate the potential impacts of this rate increase at a time when residents and communities are already struggling with over-burdensome utility costs.”

-Office of Robert Hedlund