   In 1994, United Water and the city of Hoboken reached an agreement that set the standards for municipal asset management in New Jersey. The city was faced with an annual $800,000 loss if it continued to operate its 40-mile water distribution system. That's when Hoboken Mayor Anthony Russo teamed up with United Water in an innovative arrangement, the first of its kind in New Jersey -- the public-private partnership. The Hoboken/United Water partnership enabled the city to retain ownership of the infrastructure and retain rate-setting responsibility. United Water is responsible for providing the city's water supply, as well as all system maintenance and repairs, customer service, billing and collections, and 24-hour emergency service. The partnership serves 33,000 residents of the mile-square city.  Before partnering with United Water, Hoboken faced a rate hike of 35 percent. That increase would have enabled the city just to break even for 1994. An up-front concession fee of $5.5 million gave the city some much-needed financial relief. United Water also contributed its own unique brand of cost savings through an advanced automatic meter-reading system. With United Water as its partner, Hoboken is now assured that its infrastructure will meet all drinking water regulations without any additional capital strain on the city bucget. The 20-year contract is renegotiable in 10-year increments after the year 2014.  Of the fifteen original waterworks employees of the Hoboken Public Works Department, ten have rotated to other projects within the department. The remaining five have become employees of United Water. The partnership enabled Hoboken to eliminate waterworks wage allocations without losing a single job in the process.  United Water strives to be a partner in the communities it serves. That's why the benefits that the Hoboken community realize from the partnership extend beyond improved water quality and service. The company offers its customers a variety of outreach and education programs such as water treatment plant tours and watershed recreation programs. United Water also supports many local community activities including the St. Ann's Italian Festival, one Hoboken's summer highlights. Mayor Russo lauds the partnership as a model for all municipalities faced with rising water quality standards and shrinking budgets. Indeed, the "unqualified success" of the Hoboken/United Water partnership was the catalyst for the passage of two public-private contracting acts for water and wastewater by the state of New Jersey. These acts were signed into law in 1995 by Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. They enable New Jersey municipalities and counties to follow Hoboken's and United Water's lead. Their partnership ensures a quality of asset management as high as the quality of the water. home | who we are | what we do | investor info | municipal info | news | search |