Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District

What Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District does

Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District (KKW) is a quasi-municipal water utility established in 1921 by an act of the Maine State Legislature and headquartered in the historic Horace Porter House at 92 Main Street, Kennebunk, Maine. KKW provides water supply, treatment, and distribution services to residential, seasonal, commercial, and government customers across an approximately 25-mile coastal service area in York County, covering the Towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells, Ogunquit, Arundel, and portions of Biddeford and York — a population that ranges from about 28,000 year-round to over 75,000 during peak season. KKW operates the core regulated water utility stack: source water from the Branch Brook watershed (where it owns 2,000 acres and protects approximately 43% of the watershed), a filtration and PFAS treatment plant (the first in Maine built entirely in-house), 207+ miles of distribution main, 800+ public and private fire hydrants, and 7.7 MG of storage across five standpipes and two elevated tanks. The technology layer includes a Corson GIS interagency mapping platform, AMI remote meter reading with winterization protocols, a USGS stream gauge on Branch Brook, and a proprietary watershed computer model used to drive source-protection recommendations.

Revenue is generated through MPUC-regulated metered water sales (monthly minimum of $27.06 for a 5/8" meter plus tiered consumption charges), quarterly billing for annual customers, seasonal flat-rate accounts ($155.48 for 600 CF, including a $60 seasonal service fee), private fire hydrant and sprinkler annual charges ($632.52 per hydrant), one-time system development charges ($1,657 for a new 5/8" meter), and ancillary service fees (e.g., $165 single-hydrant flow tests, reconnection fees). Distribution is direct-to-customer through owned infrastructure with customer service handled at the Main Street office, by phone, by mail, and through an InvoiceCloud-powered online billing portal launched in January 2023. The District employs approximately 40 people, is governed by a four-member elected Board of Trustees, and holds mutual aid/bulk purchase agreements with Biddeford & Saco Water Company and York Water District for supply redundancy.

Name

Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District

Legal name

Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District

Website

https://kkw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KKW is a quasi-municipal water utility established in 1921 that supplies and distributes drinking water to residential, seasonal, commercial, and municipal customers across a 25-mile coastal service area in York County, Maine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Conveyance Tunnels & Large-Diameter Pressure Mains (Long-Distance) (TLAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pipeline Rehabilitation & Renewal for NRW (Lining, Pipe Bursting, Targeted Replacement) (EUANAKAG), NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins) (EUANAKAJ)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Drinking water distribution
• Water treatment operations
• Fire protection services
• Municipal water supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennebunk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Metered Water Sales: Primary revenue from metered water sales to residential and commercial customers. Rates include minimum charges based on meter size plus consumption-based charges tiers. Annual accounts billed quarterly; seasonal accounts billed with minimum seasonal charge.
2. Fire Protection Services: Annual charges for private fire hydrants and sprinkler systems based on connection diameter. Billed quarterly.
3. System Development Charges: One-time charges for new customers and existing customers increasing meter demand, based on meter size.
4. Service Fees: Fees for seasonal service connections, meter installation, reconnection after disconnection, and other administrative services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District is a quasi-municipal water utility that provides treated drinking water supply, water treatment, and distribution services to residential and commercial customers across seven communities in York County, Maine. The District operates a 207+ mile pipeline network, water treatment facilities sourced primarily from the Branch Brook watershed, and over 800 fire hydrants serving a seasonally variable population of 28,000 to 75,000+.

Product overview

KKW is a quasi-municipal water utility offering water supply, treatment, and distribution services to coastal York County, Maine. The core offering is drinking water distribution through a 207+ mile pipeline network serving seasonal populations from 28,000 to 75,000. Customer-facing digital services include an online billing portal (InvoiceCloud), GIS mapping tools, and digital forms. The utility also provides fire hydrant services, private fire protection, and operates under Maine Public Utilities Commission regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Distribution Services Distribution of treated water through a 207+ mile pipeline network serving Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells, Ogunquit, Arundel, and portions of Biddeford and York. The system includes over 800 fire hydrants and operates with a goal to replace approximately 1% of mains annually.
• Water Supply & Treatment Treatment and distribution of drinking water primarily sourced from the Branch Brook watershed. The district operates filtration facilities, has developed supplemental groundwater sources of approximately 3 MGD capacity, and owns 2,000 acres of watershed land for source protection. The District built the first PFAS treatment facility in Maine entirely in-house.
• Fire Protection Services Annual charges for private fire hydrants and sprinkler systems based on connection diameter, billed quarterly. Includes public fire protection through 800+ fire hydrants and hydrant flow testing services for $165 per single hydrant during business hours.
• Online Customer Billing Portal (InvoiceCloud) Customer-facing web portal for bill viewing, payment processing, and account management powered by InvoiceCloud. Supports credit/debit cards, ACH payments, autopay, and scheduled payments. A $3.95 convenience fee applies for credit/debit card transactions.
• Service Line Inventory Program EPA-mandated Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) compliance program identifying materials of all service lines (both district-owned and customer-owned). Customers can look up their property's service line material classification online.
• GIS Mapping Services Online GIS application developed in partnership with Corson GIS, providing mapping data from KKW Water District, Kennebunk Sewer Department, Kennebunk Light and Power, and Town of Kennebunk. Used for system planning, operations, and public access.
• System Development Charges (New Service Connection) One-time charges for new customers and existing customers increasing meter demand, based on meter size. Covers the cost of infrastructure capacity for new connections to the system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 water quality analyses performed annually, exceeding regulatory requirements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• InvoiceCloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with InvoiceCloud for online bill presentment and payment processing. InvoiceCloud provides web-based platform enabling customers to view invoices, make payments via credit/debit card or ACH, set up autopay, and access payment history. All data is double encrypted and stored securely.
• Corson GIScoreTechnology or IntegrationCorson GIS supports the interagency GIS mapping application that combines data from KKW, Kennebunk Sewer Department, Kennebunk Light and Power, and Town of Kennebunk into one platform for public access.
• Biddeford & Saco Water CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBulk purchase agreement for up to 1 million gallons per day of finished water, installed in 1980 via transmission main through Arundel from Kennebunk to Biddeford. Provides supplemental water supply.
• York Water DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid agreement established in 2002 allowing bulk purchase of 1 MGD of finished water from York Water District.
• Maine Geological SurveyminorOthersReceived $20K grant from Maine Geological Survey to install USGS stream gauge for monitoring flow rate on Branch Brook.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bangor Water District: Maine municipal water district with similar chartered, regulated structure to KKW. Comparable mid-sized Maine utility serving a defined municipal footprint; useful peer for rate-base and operational benchmarking.
• Greater Augusta Utility District: Maine utility district providing water (and related) services under similar state regulatory framework. Comparable structure, scale, and customer profile; relevant for capex, AMI, and watershed-protection practices.
• York Water District: Neighboring Maine municipal water utility with which KKW has a mutual aid bulk water agreement (1 MGD). Operates as a quasi-municipal district under MPUC oversight, serving coastal York County communities — directly comparable in customer base, regulatory environment, and infrastructure model.
• Maine Water Company: Investor-owned water utility serving multiple Maine communities, regulated by MPUC. Comparable end-customer service and regulatory framework; useful peer for rate-setting comparisons and AMI/capex benchmarking in Maine.
• Biddeford & Saco Water Company: Maine water utility connected to KKW via a 1980 transmission main through Arundel providing up to 1 MGD of finished water. Comparable size and coastal Maine service territory; serves as both peer and operational counterparty.

Broad incumbents

• Aquarion Water Company: Investor-owned water utility operating across multiple New England states including Maine. Comparable water-treatment and distribution activities but with private capital structure, larger scale, and multi-jurisdictional footprint — useful benchmark for operational efficiency.
• Veolia Water North America: Operates and maintains water and wastewater systems for municipalities across the U.S. Comparable end-customer (municipal/residential water service) but as a private outsourced operator with much broader service portfolio.
• Portland Water District: Largest Maine water and wastewater utility, serving greater Portland. Comparable quasi-municipal structure with MPUC regulation, but significantly broader service area and portfolio (water + wastewater + sewer). Useful as a scaled comparable for operating benchmarks.
• California Water Service: Investor-owned California water utility regulated by state PUC. Comparable regulated-water-utility model but with private equity structure and different climate/water-stress profile — useful for capital allocation and rate-case benchmarks.
• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility. Comparable regulated rate-base model and treatment/distribution infrastructure but operates at vastly greater scale across many states — relevant for capital-program and regulatory-practice benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kkwwaterdist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kennebunk-kennebunkport-&-wells-water-district
• Xx.com/kkwwaterdist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District