Sen. Gadkar-Wilcox, Rep. Dathan Applaud PURA Decision Rejecting Aquarion Sale

Today, State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox and State Representative Lucy Dathan, co-chairs of the Government Oversight Committee, applauded PURA’s unanimous rejection of Eversource’s proposed sale of Aquarion Water Co.

The sale would have created a quasi-public authority modeled after the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, however PURA’s members unanimously found that the plan did not meet state standards for managerial suitability.

Utility officials submitted testimony to PURA indicating that under the new authority, Aquarion’s customers would see rate increases between 6.5% and 8.35% over the next decade.

“This is a big win for consumer protection and independent oversight of our utilities,” said Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox. “I am particularly pleased to see this decision, both as co-chair of the Government Oversight Committee, and as a representative of 100,000 Aquarion customers across my district. This ruling will keep PURA oversight on Aquarion, providing transparency and accountability for my constituents.”

“I applaud PURA’s decision to reject the proposed Aquarion sale, which I did not support. This is the right call in order to safeguard long-term public interests. Maintaining reliable service, stable rates, and strong local accountability is essential, and this outcome reinforces those priorities,” said Rep. Lucy Dathan. “It’s crucial that any future proposals in this sector meet the highest standards of transparency, consumer protection, and community benefit.”

Senator Gadkar-Wilcox and Representative Dathan published an op-ed on the topic in September, you can read more here.