The Region of Queens has approved a new rebate program to help low-income customers offset rising water bills in Liverpool and Brooklyn.
The rebate is aimed at easing the impact of a proposed 106 percent increase in water rates, which the region’s utility has requested from the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
The rate hike is intended to address an $800,000 deficit in the water utility’s budget.
Under the new program, eligible customers can receive a credit of up to $200 on their water account. The amount is expected to cover just over half of the average $342 annual increase, reducing but not eliminating the impact of the rate change.
The rebate is available to municipal water utility customers with a household income of $35,000 or less.
The region has budgeted $15,000 for the program this year, with additional funding to be considered if demand exceeds expectations.
If the Utility and Review Board approves the rate application, most customers’ annual bills would rise to about $672.
A public hearing on the proposed increase is scheduled for November 19 at 10:30 a.m. in council chambers.
