Halifax has spent $80K on water delivery in last month of drought

Water jugs can be seen in this photo. (StaceyHein/CTVNews)

Halifax has spent more than $80,000 supplying water to rural residents amid the drought in the last month, and a new report warns the costs could balloon to nearly $200,000 if the dry conditions continue in September.

According to a report from chief administrative officer Cathie O’Toole, the Halifax municipality has been supplying water to rural residents whose wells began to run dry after the drought began at the end of July. They have been distributing four litres of water per person per day, as recommended by the Canadian Red Cross, on Wednesday and Sundays at six centres.

“As of July 2025, large portions of the province had received less than 40% of their usual monthly rainfall,” the report reads. “Currently, parts of Nova Scotia are in a severe drought stage.”

The report says the provincial government can cover the costs of four litres of water per family per day for a maximum of 16 litres; anything beyond that would have to be covered by the municipality.

“HRM has spent approximately $8,000 beyond the provincial water reimbursement allotment per household to date,” the report reads.

As of Aug. 29, the municipality has spent $59,007 on water, and $18,799 on delivery fees and $3,135 on overtime, neither of which are eligible for reimbursement.

“One of the common challenges in any service delivery in rural HRM is transportation,” the report reads. “The municipality selects water distribution centres based on location, storage, and volunteer capacity. The goal is to have a water distribution centre within a 25-minute drive of the residents impacted by the water shortage. There is a balance in determining locations, as the more locations HRM creates, the higher the costs for both resources, delivery, and staff.”

The municipality says the cost of delivering enough water per person is $16,000 per delivery day. If the drought extends to the end of September, the cost could swell to more than $190,000.

The province could cover $160,000 of this cost.

“Approximately $30,000 of the costs for water supplied are above the Provincial limit and are not eligible for reimbursement,” the report reads. “Should the demand for water increase, these costs also increase.”

The report recommends Halifax council approve the distribution of drinkable water to residents without well water at a rate of four litres per person. It also recommends a maximum of $200,000 be withdrawn from the risk resilience reserve to cover the program’s overall costs.

Council will discuss the motion at their regular meeting on Tuesday.

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