As a municipally-owned utility, operating on a cost of service basis, Halifax Water does not have profit built into its rates. The funds collected are the funds required for operations, capital investment and debt financing to provide quality service for our customers.
On October 31, 2022, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB) released its decision regarding Halifax Water’s General Rate Application, which was filed in early 2022. Based on this decision, rates for the average residential family will increase by approximately 3.6 percent in December 2022 and 3.6 percent in April 2023. Click here to see how new rates will appear on your bill.
How new rates will appear on your bill
On your next Halifax Water bill, you may see multiple lines for water, wastewater, or stormwater charges on your bill. This is because part of your billing period took place when the old rates were in effect, and part of the same billing period took place after the rate change.
All water, wastewater and stormwater services provided before April 1, 2023, are charged at the old rates.
All water, wastewater and stormwater services provided on or after April 1, 2023, are charged at the new rates.
Stormwater Rates
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER STORMWATER RATES
Halifax Water customers who receive stormwater services will see two stormwater charges on their Halifax Water bills:
- The Site-Related Flow (SRF) charge is a Halifax Water charge based on the stormwater that flows from each private property into the Halifax Water stormwater system. This charge is calculated based on the impervious area on the property. Properties with more impervious area (ie. roofs, asphalt, concrete, and packed gravel) would pay more than those with less impervious area.
- *The HRM Right-of-Way (ROW) charge: Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) funds its portion of stormwater expenses through a ROW charge. Halifax Water collects this charge on behalf of Halifax Regional Municipality.
Effective April 1, 2023, per a decision by Halifax Regional Council, the HRM ROW charge will be moving from Halifax Water bills to the municipal tax bill. Learn more here.
| Tier | Annual SRF Charge Before December 1, 2022 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual SRF Charge On/After December 1, 2022 |
Annual SRF Charge On/After April 1, 2023 |
*Annual HRM ROW Charge |
||
| Tier 1: Less than 50m2 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Tier 2: 50m2 - 200m2 | $14.00 | $16.00 | $19.00 | $40.00 |
| Tier 3: 210m2 - 400m2 | $27.00 | $32.00 | $38.00 | $40.00 |
| Tier 4: 410m2 - 800m2 | $54.00 | $64.00 | $76.00 | $40.00 |
| Tier 5: Greater than 810m2 | $81.00 | $96.00 | $115.00 | $40.00 |
| Culvert Service Only | $14.00 | $16.00 | $19.00 | $40.00 |
NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER sTORMWATER RATES
Non-residential properties are charged a different Site-Related Flow Charge based on the fact that there is more variation in their impact on the stormwater system depending on their size, characteristics, and property use. This means it is important to measure these properties individually, and also provide a credit system or adjustment mechanism to refine how non-residential properties are charged.
| Annual SRF Charge | *Annual HRM ROW Charge (No Change) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before December 1, 2022 | On/After December 1, 2022 | On/After April 1, 2023 | ||
| Impervious Area | $0.135/m2 Impervious Area | $0.145/m2 Impervious Area | $0.173/m2 Impervious Area | $40.00/year |
| Culvert Service Only* | $14.00/year | $16.00/year | $19.00/year | $40.00/year |
*Properties with a culvert that are not billed the site-related charge will receive an annual culvert charge.
Water & Wastewater Service Base Charges
| Size | Water | Wastewater |
|---|---|---|
| 15 mm (5/8") (Typical Residential) |
$13.00/month | $14.00/month |
| 19 mm (3/4") | $18.00/month | $20.00/month |
| 25 mm (1") | $29.00/month | $33.00/month |
| 38 mm (1.5") | $55.00/month | $64.00/month |
| 50 mm (2") | $85.00/month | $103.00/month |
| 75 mm (3") | $170.00/month | $206.00/month |
| 100 mm (4") | $264.00/month | $321.00/month |
| 150 mm (6") | $527.00/month | $641.00/month |
| 200 mm (8") | $946.00/month | $1154.00/month |
| 250 mm (10") | $1575.00/month | $1923.00/month |
Metered Water & Wastewater Service
Halifax Water customers with a water meter are charged the applicable rates below for their water consumption and wastewater discharge. To learn more about how your water meter works, click here.
| Effective Date | Water Consumption | Wastewater Discharge |
|---|---|---|
| Before December 1, 2022 | $0.976/m3 | $2.073/m3 |
| On/After December 1, 2022 | $1.017/m3 | $2.189/m3 |
| On/After April 1, 2023 | $1.128/m3 | $2.259/m3 |
Non-Metered Water & Wastewater Service
Customers without a water meter are charged the Non-Metered Service rates for their water and wastewater services. Water and wastewater non-metered service rates are based on the projected usage of the customer, as estimated by Halifax Water based on the best information available, including comparison with similar customers.
| Effective Date | Water Service Size | Water Consumption Rate | Wastewater Discharge Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before December 1, 2022 | 15 mm (Typical Residential) |
$26.00/month $78.00/quarter |
$42.00/month $126.00/quarter |
| 19 mm | $63.00/month $189.00/quarter |
$110.00/month $330.00/quarter |
|
| 25 mm | $116.00/month $348.00/quarter |
$205.00/month $615.00/quarter |
|
| On/After December 1, 2022 | 15 mm (Typical Residential) |
$27.00/month $81.00/quarter |
$44.00/month $132.00/quarter |
| 19 mm | $63.00/month $189.00/quarter |
$114.00/month $342.00/quarter |
|
| 25 mm | $116.00/month $348.00/quarter |
$214.00/month $642.00/quarter |
|
| On/After April 1, 2023 | 15 mm (Typical Residential) |
$29.00/month $87.00/quarter |
$45.00/month $132.00/quarter |
| 19 mm | $67.00/month $201.00/quarter |
$115.00/month $345.00/quarter |
|
| 25 mm | $124.00/month $372.00/quarter |
$218.00/month $654.00/quarter |
Building Fire Protection System Annual Fees
| Fire Service Size | Before December 1, 2022 | On/After December 1, 2022 | On/After April 1, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mm | $68.00 | $69.00 | $69.00 |
| 75 mm | $170.00 | $170.00 | $170.00 |
| 100 mm | $269.00 | $272.00 | $275.00 |
| 150 mm | $544.00 | $582.00 | $619.00 |
| 200 mm | $697.00 | $801.00 | $904.00 |
| 250 mm | $697.00 | $801.00 | $904.00 |
| 300 mm | $697.00 | $801.00 | $904.00 |
Regional Development Charges (RDC)
This charge applies to any new building or expansion of an existing building that connects to Halifax Water’s central water and/or wastewater system. This charge also applies to an un-serviced lot of land, occupied by a building, existed prior to July 14, 2014, when the building is connected to the water and/or wastewater system.
*An adjustment for CPI will be made annually to the RDC on April 1.
As of April 1, 2023, regional development charges are:
| In effect before April 1, 2023 | In effect as of April 1, 2023 | |
| Water RDC | $1791.07 per unit | $1921.82 per unit |
| Wastewater RDC | $5710.01 per unit | $6126.84 per unit |
| In effect before April 1, 2023 | In effect as of April 1, 2023 | |
| Water RDC | $1202.95 per unit | $1290.77 per unit |
| Wastewater RDC | $3835.08 per unit | $4115.04 per unit |
| In effect before April 1, 2023 | In effect as of April 1, 2023 | |
| Water RDC | $8.84 per square metre | $9.49 per square metre |
| Wastewater RDC | $28.18 per square metre | $30.24 per square metre |
During regular business hours:
- $55.00
Outside of regular business hours:
- $210.00
Setup fee for all new accounts:
- $25.00
To access bulk water you must have a pre-paid account.
Bulk water rates are: $2.35/m3
*plus an annual permit fee of $115.00/vehicle
Halifax Water's Non-Sufficient Funds charge:
- $25.00 + Bank Charges
Halifax Water may charge penalties in addition to applicable water charges for each illegal water connection as follows:
- 1st offence: $300.00
- 2nd offence: $750.00
This monitoring service is available for Halifax Water customers who are large water users and have private distribution systems. It is meant to monitor the metered flow and report abnormal water usage to the customer:
- $120.00 per month, per meter
Bills issued outside the regular billing cycle:
- $12.00 per copy
