YORK WATER DISTRICT

What YORK WATER DISTRICT does

York Water District is a quasi-municipal water utility chartered in 1929 (with predecessor operations dating to 1896) that provides potable water and fire-protection services to 5,600+ metered customers within the Town of York, Maine. The District produces more than 360 million gallons of water annually through the Josiah Chase Water Filtration Plant, which uses a Direct Filtration treatment process paired with monochloramine disinfection — a chemistry the District has operated for over 25 years. It owns and maintains approximately 2,000 acres of watershed land, 98+ miles of distribution piping, 5 million gallons of finished-water storage capacity, and 471 hydrants (380 public, 91 private), representing a fully vertically integrated source-to-tap operation.

The District is governed by five publicly elected trustees serving staggered five-year terms and operates under the regulatory oversight of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the Maine Drinking Water Program, and the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act. Revenue is generated through quarterly water billing to residential, commercial, and industrial customers; fire-protection fees associated with hydrant maintenance; and system development charges on new connections. The District has also formalized emergency interconnections with Kittery Water District and KKW Water District, enabling emergency water transfers during drought or infrastructure events — notably 42 million gallons received during the 2022 drought and 60 million gallons received in 2024. A watershed-protection partnership with the York Police Department, in continuous operation since 2003, supports source-water security.

Operationally, the District is led by Superintendent Don Neumann, who has been with the organization since 1979 and in the Superintendent role since 2005, supported by Assistant Superintendent Noah Emery (returning in 2025) and a dedicated Resource Protection Manager (hired 2023). Capital programs have historically been incremental and infrastructure-renewal focused, including a 2015 aeration and circulation installation at Chase's Pond Reservoir and ongoing slip-lining rehabilitation of distribution mains. New water rates took effect on January 1, 2026, representing the most recent commercial action. As a quasi-municipal entity, the District has no parent company, no external funding rounds, and no public equity listing.

Name

YORK WATER DISTRICT

Legal name

York Water District

Website

https://yorkwaterdistrict.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

York Water District is a quasi-municipal water utility chartered in 1929 that supplies potable water and fire-protection service to 5,600+ metered customers in York, Maine, operating the Josiah Chase Water Filtration Plant, 98+ miles of distribution mains, and ~2,000 acres of watershed land under elected-trustee governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water Utility

NAICS

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

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pump Stations, Lift Stations & Booster Stations Construction (IMAFAGAD)

Keywords

• Municipal water utility
• Drinking water treatment
• Water distribution services
• Fire protection services
• Watershed management

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Service Fees: Quarterly water billing to customers for drinking water service. New water rates effective 1/1/2026. Online bill payment available through Invoicecloud portal.
2. Fire Protection Services: Public fire protection service to the Town of York. York is classified as Protection Class 4, providing a 4% reduction for fire insurance for commercial properties. Services include hydrant maintenance and water supply for fire suppression.
3. System Development Charges: Charges for new customer connections and system development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

York Water District is a quasi-municipal water utility that provides drinking water and public fire protection services to the Town of York, Maine. It treats source water from Chase's Pond at the Josiah Chase Water Filtration Plant using a Direct Filtration process, then distributes treated water through more than 98 miles of piping to over 5,600 metered customers. It also protects nearly 2,000 acres of watershed land and operates emergency interconnections with neighboring water districts.

Product overview

York Water District operates as a public water utility providing comprehensive water services to the Town of York, Maine. The core portfolio includes water filtration and treatment services at the Josiah Chase Water Filtration Plant (producing over 360 million gallons annually), water distribution through 98+ miles of piping, and public fire protection infrastructure. Supporting services include Conservation Corner educational publications, online bill payment via InvoiceCloud, watershed management, metering and backflow prevention programs, and seasonal water line services. The utility serves over 5,600 customers and maintains emergency interconnections with neighboring water districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drinking Water Service
• Public Fire Protection Service
• System Development / New Connection Service
• Seasonal Water Line Service
• Metering and Backflow Prevention Service
• Watershed Protection and Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced disinfection byproducts (DBPs) by nearly 70% through monochloramine switch over 25 years ago
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kittery Water DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency water supply interconnections between York Water District and Kittery Water District. During drought conditions in 2022, York Water District received approximately 42 million gallons from Folly Pond. In 2024, Kittery allowed siphoning of approximately 60 million gallons from Folly Pond to Chase's Pond. Both districts share watershed ATV permit program and jointly patrol watershed properties.
• Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency water supply interconnection allowing York Water District to receive water from or provide water to this neighboring utility to the north. This collaboration has benefited all communities during emergencies like drought conditions, algal blooms, and planned projects.
• York Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established in 2003 where a York Water District employee was trained as a reserve police officer to provide full police power while patrolling watershed property. In 2004, Kittery Water District joined the partnership, creating unified protection for five public water supplies and 5,000 acres of water resource land.
• Mount Agamenticus Conservation ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with York Parks & Recreation Department managing conservation land. York Water District leases access to Mt. Agamenticus summit via Mt. A Road, parking lots and trails to the Town of York for public access. Combined total of approximately 5,000 acres of heavily wooded land with management roads and trails open to public for limited passive recreation.
• Maine Public Utilities CommissioncoreOthersRegulatory oversight body that regulates water utilities in Maine to ensure safe, adequate, and reliable services at just and reasonable rates.
• Maine Drinking Water ProgramcoreOthersState agency responsible for ensuring public drinking water systems in Maine are protected, treated, monitored, and well managed. Oversees implementation of Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and Maine Rules Relating to Drinking Water.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Pennichuck Water Works: Investor-owned water utility serving southern New Hampshire, immediately west of York's service area. Comparable in size and customer mix to York Water District, providing a regional private-sector comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Aquarion Water Company: Investor-owned water utility serving parts of New England and other states. A broader incumbent in the same water utility space, providing a comparison for privately-operated water service delivery.
• Essential Utilities (Aqua America): Large publicly traded water and natural gas utility serving multiple states including Pennsylvania. Useful for benchmarking rate base, capital structure, and regulatory treatment, though much larger and broader than YWD.

Direct peers

• Greater Augusta Utility District: Maine quasi-municipal utility providing water (and sewer) services. Operates under the same MPUC regulatory framework and similar governance model as York Water District.
• Portland Water District: Largest Maine water and wastewater utility, where YWD's Financial Manager previously worked. Operates the same quasi-municipal structure with similar treatment and distribution activities, but at substantially larger scale.
• Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District: Adjacent Maine water district with emergency interconnection agreement with York Water District. Comparable in customer mix (residential + seasonal coastal Maine demand) and operational model.
• Brunswick and Topsham Water District: Maine quasi-municipal water district serving two towns with comparable customer base, treatment, and distribution functions. Structurally and operationally similar to York Water District.
• Kittery Water District: Neighboring Maine quasi-municipal water district with emergency interconnections and joint watershed patrol partnership with York Water District. Directly comparable in size, structure, and service profile.
• Bangor Water District: Maine municipal water utility operating under a quasi-municipal trustee structure similar to YWD. Comparable in regulatory environment, treatment operations, and customer composition.

Others

• New England Water Works Association: Regional industry association supporting water utilities across New England including Maine. Provides regulatory, training, and benchmarking context relevant to YWD's operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/YorkWaterDistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/york-water-district

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 YORK WATER DISTRICT