UPDATE: The water company has a new name!

January 8, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer

The water system serving Hingham, Hull, and part of Cohasset will go by a new name once the transition from Aquarion Water Company to Town of Hingham ownership is finalized.

Out of dozens of suggestions made by water customers from among the three towns, the Water Company Transition and Evaluation Committee recommended 13 top runners to the Selectmen, who unanimously chose the name "Weir River Water System" last night acting as the board of water commissioners. The name change is subject to review by Hingham town counsel.

"We asked for input because we will be undergoing a rebranding," said Selectmen Chair Karen Johnson.

Suggested names included: Accord Water Company, Bare Cove Water Company, Harbor Water Company, Hingham H20 Company, Hingham Water Company, Hingham Regional Water System, Hullham Water Co., Nantasket Water, Old Colony Water Works, Seaside Water Company, Tri-Town Water Company, Trident Water, and Weir River Water Company.

The word "system" rather than "company" is included in the new name because as Selectman Joseph Fisher pointed out, "We're not naming a separate company. This will be a department under the Town of Hingham."

Before making a decision, all three selectmen gravitated toward choosing a name that represented all three towns.

"This is a stressed watershed, and including the name 'Weir River' might help keep water conservation efforts and stewardship of our water system" uppermost in mind, Power said.

The transition, which is still in the “good husbandry” stage (Aquarion’s obligation to provide service while the details of the purchase are being worked out), is expected to occur no earlier than April 1, according to the timeline contained in the Water System Operator Request for Proposals (RFP) that was issued last September.

According to Town Administrator Tom Mayo, six companies were represented at a recent site visit to the water treatment plant so they could get a sense of the system.

As promised by Mayo at a meeting with the Hull Selectmen late last year, a representative from Hull -- John Struzziery, Director of Wastewater Operations/Assistant Director of Public Works -- will participate in the interviewing of qualified respondents to the RFP this week.

"There was a very cooperative feeling in the room during that meeting," Mayo said.

Selectman Mary Power noted earlier that the "Hingham Water Company" -- which has had several other names since -- was founded in 1879 and that "Hull joined around 1881.

Everything that now says "Aquarion" will be changed, from the water system logo and decals on trucks to water restriction signs.