The province is looking to help municipalities create a new program for those with dry wells.
Municipalities can now opt to pay for the cost of drilling or expanding wells upfront.
Government is providing new financing options to municipalities for residents who wish to make upgrades to their… https://t.co/9eABD4c7OB
— Hon. Zach Churchill (@zachchurchill) November 3, 2016
The cost would be applied to a property owner’s tax bill and be repaid over time.
Yarmouth MLA and Municipal Affairs Minister Zach Churchill says a lot of people should be recognized for helping out during the summer’s water shortage.
“We need to thank our municipal governments, ground search and rescue teams, our EMO officials, volunteer fire departments as well. Everyone really came together to make sure that everyone who was without water and are still without water received water for drinking and daily use.”
Churchill says they’ve consulted with municipalities affected by water shortages.
“They have indicated they are interested in moving forward with this program to help people prepare in the event this water shortage were to happen again.”
The program would be voluntary, may cover up to 100 per cent of the project’s costs, have financing terms of up to 20 years, and could be combined with other federal or provincial programs.
In a release, Barrington Warden Eddie Nickerson says the past few months have been difficult for many residents who are struggling with dry wells, and the amendments will allow them to put affordable, long-term fixes in place to avoid these situations in the future.
This model has also been used by some Nova Scotia municipalities to fund energy efficiency projects.
