Tata & Howard, Inc.

What Tata & Howard, Inc. does

Tata & Howard, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned civil engineering consulting firm founded in 1992 in Westborough, Massachusetts, by Donald J. Tata and Paul B. Howard. The firm specializes exclusively in the water environment, providing a full range of water, wastewater, and stormwater engineering services to municipal water systems, water districts, and a small number of private water companies. Headquartered in Marlborough, MA with additional offices in Lakeville (MA), Salem (NH), and Shelton (CT), Tata & Howard operates throughout New England and holds permitting relationships in Arizona, Maine, and Rhode Island. Since transitioning to a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in October 2014, the firm has been wholly owned by its employees with no external equity, debt, or parent-company ownership. Today the firm operates with 70+ technical and support staff organized in a deep pyramid from Co-Presidents through VPs, project managers, engineers, designers, and field technicians.

The firm's core offering is end-to-end project delivery, from planning and hydraulic modeling through design, permitting, bidding, construction administration, and start-up, anchored by proprietary methodologies including the Capital Efficiency Plan (CEP) and the Planning Infrastructure Priorities Efficiently (PIPE) Process. Underlying technology is conventional civil-engineering software (WaterGEMS, InfoWater, InfoSewer, HydroCad, US EPA SWMM) layered on a proprietary pipe asset management database covering 5,000+ miles of New England infrastructure, which the firm cites as one of the largest such datasets among regional consulting firms. Since 2007, the firm has also operated an advanced pipeline condition assessment lab that conducts controlled load testing of cast iron water main samples to determine remaining structural capacity, a capability that few regional competitors replicate.

Tata & Howard generates revenue through project-based professional services fees tied to planning studies, engineering design, permitting support, funding assistance, and construction administration. Pricing is quote-driven and depends on project scope and complexity, with no publicly disclosed rate cards. Customer engagement is direct B2B enterprise field sales, primarily to public-sector clients such as the Towns of Falmouth, Amherst, and Milford (MA), the City of Danbury (CT), Norwich Public Utilities (CT), Maine Water Company, and various water districts. Customer acquisition is reinforced by thought-leadership marketing including a quarterly newsletter (The Wave), technical white papers, trade-show participation, and a collegiate scholarship program. Quantifiable project outcomes include treatment plant designs up to 8.0 MGD (Falmouth Long Pond) and construction projects completed at $18.9M (Amherst Centennial WTP), with reported change-order rates under 1% of construction cost.

Name

Tata & Howard, Inc.

Legal name

Tata & Howard, Inc.

Website

https://tataandhoward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tata & Howard is a 100% employee-owned civil engineering consulting firm founded in 1992 that specializes exclusively in water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure for municipal water utilities and water districts across New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Environmental Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Asset Strategy, Risk & Lifecycle Planning (EUANALAA), Capital Planning, Portfolio Prioritization & Funding (EUANALAB), Treatment Plant Asset Programs (Process Assets, Electrical/Mechanical Systems) (EUANALAL), Program/Project Controls (Cost, Schedule, Risk, Governance) (EUANALAC), Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ), Maintenance & Reliability (RCM, Work Management, Spares) (EUANALAH)

Keywords

• Water engineering consulting
• Wastewater infrastructure services
• Stormwater management services
• Hydraulic modeling consulting
• Municipal water systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Marlborough

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering services including planning, design, permitting, bidding, construction administration, and start-up services for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects. Revenue generated through consulting fees for engineering studies, designs, and project support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tata & Howard is a niche consulting engineering firm that solely focuses on water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure for municipalities, water districts, and private water companies. The firm delivers full-lifecycle services including planning, hydraulic modeling, design, permitting, funding assistance, bidding, construction administration, and start-up for projects such as water mains, pump stations, water storage, water treatment, wastewater collection and treatment, and stormwater compliance. Its proprietary Capital Efficiency Plans (CEPs) and PIPE Process integrate hydraulic modeling, critical component assessment, and asset management to help utilities prioritize infrastructure investments.

Product overview

Tata & Howard is a 100% employee-owned water engineering firm specializing in water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure services. The firm operates as a full-service consultancy offering a comprehensive portfolio organized around its core water environment expertise: Water services (including AMI, water mains, pump stations, storage, hydraulic modeling, distribution studies, unidirectional flushing, new source development, and water treatment), Wastewater services (collection systems, infiltration/inflow studies, onsite treatment, and treatment facilities), Stormwater services (compliance and site management), Asset Management (Capital Efficiency Plans, PIPE Process, pipeline condition assessment, and value engineering), and a Holistic Approach encompassing design, funding assistance, permitting, bidding, construction administration, start-up, and sustainability. The firm provides end-to-end project lifecycle support from concept through completion, with proprietary methodologies including the Three Circle Approach and PIPE Process for infrastructure prioritization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Comprehensive integrated technology platform combining smart water meters, secure communication networks, and advanced data management systems enabling real-time, two-way communication between water utilities and customers to improve billing accuracy, leak detection, and operational efficiency.
• Water Mains Design and Rehabilitation Full range of water main design and construction administration services including conventional design, directional drilling, pipe bursting, and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure through cleaning and cement lining.
• Pump Stations Engineering Comprehensive planning, design, and operational support for water pump stations including hydraulic modeling, SCADA system design, chemical feed systems, energy efficiency evaluations, and backup power systems.
• Water Storage Facilities Water storage tank design and rehabilitation including sizing, hydraulic analyses, location studies, cleaning and painting, safety device installations, site permitting, and construction administration.
• Hydraulic Modeling Hydraulic modeling services using WaterGEMS, InfoWater, InfoSewer, HydroCad, and US EPA SWMM programs. Backed by a database of over 5,000 miles of New England pipe for condition and failure probability analysis.
• Supply & Distribution System Studies Comprehensive water supply and distribution system analyses using hydraulic simulation and field-verified data to evaluate capacity, pressure, storage needs, and develop phased prioritized improvement recommendations.
• Unidirectional Flushing Programs (UDF) Unidirectional flushing programs to clean water mains, remove sediment and tuberculation, exercise valves and hydrants, and identify system issues using verified hydraulic models.
• New Source Development Water supply source identification, evaluation, development, and permitting services including hydrogeologic investigations, test wells, pump testing, yield evaluations, and water treatment evaluation for PFAS, iron, manganese, arsenic, and other contaminants.
• Water Treatment Comprehensive water treatment engineering services including pressure filtration, conventional gravity filtration, membrane technologies, dissolved air flotation (DAF), granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and disinfection systems for iron/manganese removal, PFAS treatment, and emerging contaminants.
• ERP Training Emergency Response Plan (ERP) training for water utility personnel, approved by MassDEP, providing 7 Training Contact Hours (TCHs) to fulfill state annual training requirements.
• Wastewater Collection Systems Wastewater collection system services including system evaluation, condition assessment, hydraulic modeling, design, rehabilitation planning, asset management, and regulatory compliance support.
• Infiltration & Inflow Studies Systematic infiltration and inflow identification and reduction services including flow monitoring, CCTV inspections, smoke testing, dye testing, and prioritized rehabilitation planning.
• Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Design of new onsite treatment facilities and upgrading existing plants with focus on cost-efficient layouts, SCADA systems, and energy savings, including Title 5 large septic systems and groundwater discharge permits.
• Wastewater Treatment Facilities Planning & Design Planning, design, and construction services for wastewater treatment facilities including comprehensive management plans, treatment plant modifications, NPDES permits, and SRF funding assistance.
• Stormwater Compliance Stormwater engineering services including MS4 NPDES permit compliance, illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE), stormwater mapping, outfall inventories, and municipal facility compliance programs.
• Site Stormwater Management Stormwater management design including vegetated buffers, porous pavement, bioretention systems, treatment swales, low-impact development (LID) tools, and Construction Best Management Practices.
• Asset Management Scalable asset management strategies combining condition assessment, operational evaluations, capital planning, and management training for water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
• Capital Efficiency Plans (CEPs) Proprietary Capital Efficiency Plans combining hydraulic modeling, critical component assessment, and asset management to help utilities prioritize infrastructure investments through the Three Circle Approach.
• PIPE Process Proprietary Planning Infrastructure Priorities Efficiently (PIPE) Process covering drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, incorporating asset management, hydraulics, and system criticality for prioritized improvement listings.
• Advanced Condition Assessment for Pipeline Rehabilitation Pipeline condition assessment methodology evaluating cast iron water main samples through external/internal corrosion analysis, wall perforation, remaining wall thickness, and factor of safety calculations.
• Value Engineering Value engineering analysis evaluating cost versus value of building materials, equipment, and systems, considering life expectancy, maintenance, operations, energy usage, and replacement costs.
• Design Services Comprehensive engineering design services for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure including chemical feed facilities, pump stations, storage facilities, collection systems, lead service line replacement, and SCADA systems.
• Funding Assistance Grant and loan assistance services helping communities secure funding through State Revolving Funds (SRF), USDA Rural Development, CDBG, and state-specific programs.
• Permitting Services Permit preparation services with established relationships with MassDEP, CTDEEP, NHDES, MEDEP, RIDEM, ADEQ, USACE, EPA, and various local agencies.
• Bidding Services Bidding assistance services helping clients navigate procurement laws in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.
• Construction Administration Comprehensive construction administration and resident observation services keeping projects on schedule and budget with proactive issue resolution.
• Start-Up Services Start-up services for water and wastewater new construction projects providing utility staff with training and complete operational understanding of new facilities.
• Sustainability Services Sustainable engineering services including green building design, pump efficiency studies, and system-specific solutions advancing environmental stewardship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Change orders historically less than 1% of construction cost and typically driven by client-requested changes rather than design issues
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Water for PeopleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTata & Howard's charity of choice. Employees donate directly from paychecks with 100% company match. Company sponsors the CTAWWA Water for People Golf Tournament in fall. Organization provides safe, sustainable drinking water globally.
• MassDEPcoreOthersMassachusetts Department of Environmental Protection - regulatory agency for water and environmental permits. Strong working relationships built over years for various construction and environmental permits.
• US EPAcoreOthersUnited States Environmental Protection Agency - regulatory oversight for water systems including Emergency Response Plans, Lead and Copper Rule, PFAS standards, and NPDES permits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tighe & Bond: Tighe & Bond is a New England engineering firm providing water, wastewater, and civil infrastructure services to municipalities. Highly comparable in geography, services, and client base, with a similarly strong presence across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and surrounding states.
• Brown and Caldwell: Brown and Caldwell is a national employee-owned engineering firm focused exclusively on water and environmental services for utilities. Direct peer in niche specialization, with comparable ESOP-style employee ownership and similar water/wastewater/asset management capabilities.
• Woodard & Curran: Woodard & Curran is a New England-based engineering and operations firm specializing in water, wastewater, and environmental services for municipal clients. Directly comparable in customer base, geographic focus, and service offering to T&H, with a similarly strong municipal focus and integrated design/operations model.
• Hazen and Sawyer: Hazen and Sawyer is a national water and wastewater engineering consulting firm serving municipal utilities. Directly comparable in service mix (planning, design, asset management) and customer base of water/wastewater utilities, though with broader geographic reach.
• Kleinschmidt Group: Kleinschmidt is an engineering and consulting firm specializing in water, energy, and environmental projects for utility and resource clients. Comparable in niche specialization and engineering consulting focus, particularly on water and hydropower infrastructure.
• Wright-Pierce: Wright-Pierce is a New England-based engineering firm focused on water, wastewater, and infrastructure for municipal and utility clients. Highly comparable in geographic focus, service mix, and customer base to T&H.

Broad incumbents

• CDM Smith: CDM Smith is a large, full-service engineering and construction firm with a substantial water practice serving municipal and private clients. Overlaps with T&H on water/wastewater consulting, but operates at much larger scale and with broader service portfolio.
• GHD: GHD is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with a strong water practice in North America. Overlaps with T&H on municipal water/wastewater services but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with a strong water practice serving municipal clients. Overlaps with T&H on water/wastewater engineering and asset management but operates as a broad incumbent with global scale.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm with a large water practice serving municipal utilities. Overlaps with T&H on water/wastewater engineering but operates as a broad incumbent with significantly greater scale and resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tataandhoward
• Facebookfacebook.com/tataandhoward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/922881

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tata & Howard, Inc.