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UNATIL outlines plan to acquire Aquarian operations serving Sheffield, promises five-year transition
Summary
UNATIL executives told the Sheffield Select Board Oct. 20 that the company plans to buy Aquarian Water Company operations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and expects a five-year transition period during which Aquarian will continue local operations while regulators weigh approvals.
UNATIL representatives described their planned acquisition of Aquarian Water Company operations that serve parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and answered questions from the Sheffield Select Board on Oct. 20.
“My name is Alec Omera. I am the director of external affairs at UNATIL,” said Alec Omera, who led the presentation and said the company currently serves about 100,000 electric and 100,000 natural-gas customers in New England. Omera said UNATIL sees the purchase as a long-term investment and emphasized the company’s customer-service record.
Omera told the board the transaction includes a five-year transition period after closing, during which Aquarian would continue operating locally to assist UNATIL’s integration. He said regulatory approvals remain outstanding in Massachusetts and Connecticut (New Hampshire approval was described as already granted in the presentation). UNATIL representatives at the meeting included Ariana McNeel (municipal and community service executive) and Joe Connealy (managing transition efforts); Aquarian staff present included Peter Pacik and John Walsh.
Board members asked whether Sheffield’s distance from the company’s New Hampshire headquarters would pose operational challenges. Omera said UNATIL expects to “figure out what we'll need to have locally to ensure the service continues the way it does” and pointed to the five-year transition window as time to establish local arrangements.
The presentation did not include final regulatory orders or specific operational changes for Sheffield customers. The company described the deal as subject to regulatory approval and said details about future service-level commitments and any local staffing changes would be developed during the transition period.
The Select Board did not take a formal vote on the acquisition; the session served as an introductory presentation and public Q&A. The board can expect further briefings as regulatory approvals and transaction details progress.
