July 2, 2026 By Carol Britton Meyer
Water rates will increase by three percent for Weir River Water System customers in Hingham, Hull, and part of Cohasset effective July 1 in addition to a $65 annual capital debt service assessment for single-family residential customers. The Hingham Select Board granted final approval Tuesday night. Ratepayers were notified of the proposed increase and assessment last October.
This will be the first time rates have increased since the Town of Hingham acquired the water company in 2020. A 10 percent rate increase was part of that contract.
At that time, a 10 percent increase every three years was anticipated, which turned out not to be the case. “We’ve budgeted well to avoid that,” WRWS Managing Director/Superintendent Russell Tierney. told the Hingham Anchor in an earlier telephone interview.
Overall, the average water bill will increase approximately eight percent – including the three percent rate increase, the $65 a year assessment, and also associated increases related to the $80 monthly service charge on water bills that is apart from the water usage cost and surcharges that are already incorporated in the WRWS bills, Tierney said earlier.
Multi-residential, industrial, commercial, and municipal/government customers will also contribute to the capital debt service.
The three percent usage rate increase reflects “the actual, ordinary cost of running the water system,” according to Tierney.
The capital debt service assessment will fund extraordinary capital improvements – including the design, permitting, and construction of a new one million gallon water storage tank on Strawberry Hill in Hull, a booster station in Hingham to support the new tank, and rehabilitation of the existing Turkey Hill tank.
Future improvements involving extensive water main work include the multi-million-dollar Rte. 3A Rotary/Summer Street project in Hingham and Manomet and Samoset avenues in Hull.
A joint public hearing among the WRWS water commissioners – comprised of the Hingham select board – the Hingham Advisory Committee, and the WRWS Citizens Advisory Board about the proposed rate increase and capital debt service assessment was held last January, with minimal attendance by citizens served by the water company, no questions about the proposed increase and assessment, nor concerns or objections raised at that time. There were no comments or questions at this week’s meeting.