North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda has been named CEO of both the Regional Water Authority (RWA) and the newly created Aquarion Water Authority (AWA), putting one executive in charge of two public utilities that together serve more than 1.1 million Connecticut residents.
The New Haven-based RWA and Bridgeport-based AWA announced the appointment Tuesday. Freda will take on the CEO role full time Jan. 1, 2027, as the two authorities move toward a shared management structure following the $2.4 billion acquisition of Aquarion Water Co. by the RWA and its municipal partners.
The RWA and AWA will remain separate entities but will share a CEO, chief financial officer and board of directors, according to the authorities. The presidents of each authority will report to Freda.
The arrangement is intended to create operating efficiencies while preserving separate rate structures and customer service operations. Customers will see no changes to their service, accounts or billing, the authorities said.
Freda has served as North Haven’s first selectman since December 2009 and was elected to a ninth term in November 2025. He previously served as president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the Connecticut Council of Small Towns.
He also was an early supporter of the RWA’s effort to acquire Aquarion, speaking in favor of the pursuit at an August 2024 meeting of the RWA board before the authority submitted its bid.
“This is a vital step in realizing our regional vision,” said David Borowy, chairman of both authorities’ boards. He cited Freda’s experience in municipal policy and fiscal management and his background in the public and private sectors.
Freda said the combined leadership structure would allow the authorities to expand their technical capabilities and reduce long-term costs.
Freda told the North Haven Board of Selectmen on Aug. 6 that he had received an unexpected offer to lead what he described as the sixth-largest company in its sector nationally. He said a nondisclosure agreement prevented him from identifying the company at the time and that he expected to leave the first selectman’s office in the first week of January. The town will fill the vacancy under the process outlined in its charter.
The appointment comes about six weeks after the RWA completed its $2.4 billion acquisition of Aquarion from Eversource Energy on June 30. The transaction converted Connecticut’s largest water utility from an investor-owned company into a nonprofit authority governed by the municipalities it serves.
The deal also removed Aquarion from state rate regulation by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
The acquisition faced sustained opposition from Attorney General William Tong, the Office of Consumer Counsel and officials in several communities served by Aquarion, who argued the transaction could lead to higher water bills and reduced state oversight.
PURA initially rejected the acquisition in November 2025 but approved it in March after a court remanded the case. The authorities have pledged not to seek a rate increase for six months after the acquisition and have projected annual increases of 6.5% to 8.35% over the following decade.
The RWA has been without a permanent CEO since the death of longtime President and CEO Larry L. Bingaman in November 2024. Bingaman led the authority for 15 years and was the architect of its effort to acquire Aquarion.
The authorities did not disclose Freda’s compensation or the terms of his contract.
