Halifax Water Seeks 16 Per Cent Residential Rate Increase Over Two Years
Halifax Water has filed an application with the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board proposing a total 16 per cent increase in residential rates over 2027 and 2028, following an approved 18 per cent hike for 2026.
Halifax Water filed a general rate application on Tuesday with the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board seeking a total 16 per cent increase in residential rates over the next two years. The proposal calls for an 8.4 per cent hike effective April 1, 2027, followed by an additional 8.2 per cent increase effective April 1, 2028.
The new application follows an 18 per cent rate hike for 2026 that was approved in January. That earlier increase added about $14 per month to the average household bill.
According to the utility, led by general manager and CEO Kenda MacKenzie, the reasons for the latest filing include revised forecasts, staff vacancies, inflation, depleted reserves, higher debt and interest costs, and increased depreciation.
As part of the application, Halifax Water is proposing a temporary deficit-elimination rate rider representing 0.7 per cent of the rate increases for water and stormwater customers. The rider would appear as a separate charge on bills and would be removed once approved accumulated deficits are recovered, within no more than five years.