Decision on Halifax Water rate hike proposal could be made soon

Halifax residents are preparing for water rate hikes this year.

Halifax Water has added an additional 0.5 per cent to its proposed rate increase scheduled for April, bringing it from 5.5 per cent to six per cent.

This is on top of a 12.1 per cent hike this month.

“What that means for household per month in January would be $9.28 extra a month and then an additional $5.11 beginning in April,” says Brittany Smith, Halifax Water’s senior communications advisor.

The utility initially asked for 17.1 per cent and 15.8 per cent increases in December, but the Nova Scotia Regulatory Appeals Board said Halifax Water had to recalculate.

“This is to address our significant deficit, which is from rising costs, including salary employees, as well as chemical costs, project costs,” Smith says. “We understand that pennies are tight right now and that we’re asking a lot of our customers, but we require this to be able to continue to provide reliable services.”

Nova Scotia Power also has a nearly eight per cent proposal on the board and Halifax could raise property taxes by more than 10 per cent.

“When you stack water, power and taxes together, it creates real rate shock for people who simply cannot afford it,” says Devin Drover, Atlantic director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of out migration to other provinces if there’s not, if something doesn’t give here.”

The information on the Halifax Water increase is now with the regulatory appeals board. Smith says a decision could come within the next few days.

Halifax Water provides 110,000 households with water, stormwater and wastewater services.

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