Hingham Water Board Approves $460,000 in Engineering Contracts for Wells and Mains

HINGHAM — October 28, 2025 — Hingham's Board of Water Commissioners approved two engineering contracts totaling more than $460,000 and moved toward the town's first water rate increase since taking over the Weir River Water System in 2020. Commissioners William Ramsey, Liz Klein, and Julie Staley unanimously approved a $268,000 contract with Apex Companies LLC for engineering services to replace Free Street Well No. 4, funded by a $1.8 million PFAS class-action settlement, and a $192,000 contract for design work on Samoset and Manomet Avenue water mains in Hull, with Commissioner Staley abstaining from the second vote due to a real estate interest. Water Superintendent Russ Tierney said the proposed rate package includes a 3 percent usage-charge increase and a new $65 annual residential assessment for the Strawberry Hill storage tank — the first rate increase notice sent to the system's customers. A ratepayer letter will go out in early November, with a public hearing set for January 2026, in part at the request of Hull representative Jen Constable.