The Water and Wastewater Systems Group focuses on local, state, and federal regulation of suppliers and users of water and wastewater services throughout New England.
The Group represents water utilities and customers in a wide variety of cases before the Maine Public Utilities Commission, including rate cases, customer complaints, rulemakings and formal MPUC investigations. The group has been actively involved in issues of withdrawal of water and minimum stream flows before the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and has represented clients in Maine Drinking Water Program proceedings. The group also represents both suppliers and customers in trial and appellate court proceedings, including proceedings involving eminent domain issues, rate issues and main extensions. On the business side, the group regularly provides legal advice to water and wastewater clients on matters such as corporate finance and bond issuance, service connections, limited service agreements, easement procurement, environmental compliance and mergers and acquisitions. The group also offers its clients a regular and effective presence before Maine's Legislature and, in particular, the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee and Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.
Beyond Maine, our attorneys have considerable experience negotiating wastewater discharge agreements for manufacturers and in assisting municipal wastewater authorities with facilities upgrades and with the development of combined sewage overflow management projects. We serve as counsel to municipal pollution control authorities and have handled state and federal enforcement matters for water pollution control authorities and industrial dischargers. We have successfully handled environmental permit applications and permit modifications for publicly owned treatment works and industrial users in several jurisdictions and have negotiated inter-local agreements among municipalities for the use of publically owned treatment works throughout New England.
Verrill’s Energy Group has recently researched, edited, and published the 2nd edition of its treatise, Maine Regulation of Public Utilities. It is the only comprehensive treatise on the subject.
