Hingham Water Board Approves Five Contracts Worth More Than $555,000

HINGHAM -- July 29, 2025, Hingham's Board of Water Commissioners approved five contracts totaling more than $555,000 at its July 29 meeting, covering two unsafe van replacements, a new dump truck, a PFAS and capacity study, and a pond intake relocation. Chair Liz Klein and members Julie Staley and Bill Ramsey voted unanimously on all items. Water Superintendent Russ Tierney said two vans, a 2011 Chevrolet with a cracked frame and a 2013 Chevrolet with rotted brake lines, had both been declared unsafe after inspection; replacement vehicles from Colonial Municipal Group and Marco Ford Sales Inc. cost $60,280 and $65,990 respectively. A $180,940 contract with Apex Companies LLC will fund a six-month PFAS and plant capacity study ahead of a 2031 federal compliance deadline; Tierney reported current PFOS readings of 3.1 parts per trillion, below the upcoming limit of four. A $248,000 contract with Hydra Dive Tech LLC will move the Accord Pond intake from roughly 20 feet offshore to its original position 400 feet out, improving raw water quality and PFAS readings. State Representative Joe Mossino, a Hull resident who attended the meeting, said the board's approach represented a sharp contrast to the reactive management that produced a 20 percent rate spike in 2008.