Hingham Water Board Buys Two Electric Trucks, Freezes Rates for FY26

HINGHAM -- May 20, 2025, Hingham's Board of Water Commissioners voted 3-0 to buy two electric Ford F-150 Lightning trucks and freeze water usage rates for fiscal year 2026 at its May 20 meeting. Chair William Ramsey and commissioners Liz Klein and Julie Staley approved a contract with Colonial Ford Incorporated, doing business as Colonial Municipal Group, for the two vehicles at a cost not to exceed $111,795.20, offset by $15,000 in state Mass EVIP electric vehicle incentive credits. The trucks will support a new meter division being formed with Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant as billing transitions away from Veolia. Water and Sewer Superintendent Russ Tierney said the $15,000 rebate will more than cover a Level 2 charging station quoted at between $8,500 and $10,000. On rates, Tierney confirmed water usage charges, unchanged since FY22, will hold flat again for FY26, though a proposed $65-per-year tank infrastructure surcharge for single-family residential customers is now targeted for a January 1, 2026 launch, pending public hearings expected this fall.