The Water and Wastewater Utilities Group has an active and successful practice focusing on local, state, and federal regulation of suppliers and users of water and Wastewater services throughout New England. The Group has represented water Utilities and customers in a wide variety of cases before the Maine Public Utilities Commission, including rate cases, customer complaints, rulemakings, and formal investigations. The Group has been actively involved in issues of withdrawal of water and minimum stream flows, before the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The Group represents both suppliers and customers in trial and appellate court proceedings, including eminent domain proceedings. On the business side, the Group advises Utility clients on matters such as corporate finance and bond issuance, service connections, special rate contracts, easement procurement, and mergers and acquisitions. The Group also offers its clients a regular presence before Maine's Legislature and, in particular, the Legislature's Natural Resources Committee and Utilities & Energy Committee.
Some of our recent projects include representation of:
- A Water Utility seeking compensation from the DEP Ground Water Oil Clean-up Fund for the costs of expanding service to contaminated areas.
- A Wastewater Utility merging with neighboring wastewater utility.
- A Water Utility in an appeal before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, successfully protecting the utility’s watershed land from adverse claims by the public.
- A coalition of southern Maine Water Utilities in the formation of a regional water council.
- A task force of Maine Utilities working with Maine Department of Transportation on facility location issues.
- A Water Utility negotiating an interconnection agreement with a neighboring water utility.
- A real estate developer in an appeal to Maine Supreme Judicial Court challenging a water utility’s Metering Policy.
- A trade association of Water Utilities in connection with DEP rulemaking affecting water withdrawal and compliance with minimum flow requirements under the Clean Water Act.
- A development company in the transfer of its wastewater treatment facilities to the local wastewater utility.
- A water utility defending its System Development Charge against a challenge by a real estate developer.
- An investor-owned water company issuing mortgage bonds under its indenture.
The following is a list of representative clients served by the Group:
- Aqua Maine, Inc.
- Biddeford and Saco Water Company
- Bath Water District
- Gardiner Water District
- Loring Development Authority
- Maine Water Utilities Association
- Manchester Sanitary District
- Monmouth Sanitary District
- Portland Water District
- South Berwick Water District
- Winthrop Utilities District
- York Water District
Verrill Dana publishes a Utilities Newsletter highlighting recent regulatory developments, including those affecting Maine water and Wastewater Utilities. To view the most recent copies of the newsletter, please click onto "Publications" on the Verrill Dana website. You may subscribe to this newsletter, at no cost, by contacting us at info@verrilldana.com.
For more information about Verrill Dana's Water and Wastewater Group, contact Group Chair Bill Harwood.