Water & sewer across Nova Scotia
What are the water and sewer rules and rates?
46 of 49 municipalities in Nova Scotia have an adopted bylaw on water & sewer on file. Each row links the municipality's answer page and, where transcribed, the full text of the document.
| Municipality | Adopted document | Key facts | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town |
Bylaw Respecting Discharge into Public Sewers D-3
+1 more adopted 2026-01-21 |
billing basis: Connection charge and fees per Town's Annual Review of User Fees Policy 03470-03 (Town provides installations within street rights-of-way when owner pays connection charge and property fronts a sewer main) · billing basis: Sewer Service Charge (rates, base charges, uniform charges) set by Council resolution, billed quarterly; unmetered mobile homes in land-leased communities pay an annual uniform charge | 2026-06-05 |
| Annapolis Royal Town |
Sewer By-law | connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Antigonish County municipality |
Sewer By-Law (Regulation of Discharges to the Public Sewer Systems) | connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual Sewer Service Charge per Equivalent User Unit (Schedule 'A'), rate set annually by Council | 2026-06-05 |
| Antigonish Town |
Sewer Charges By-law
+1 more |
billing basis: Metered customers: sewer usage charge as percentage of water rates; non-metered customers: pro-rated by Equivalent User Units (Schedule 'A') · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Argyle District municipality |
By-Law #29: West Pubnico Sewer
+2 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual service charge per equivalent unit (budget divided by total equivalent units); equivalent units by use type (Part 6) · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Barrington District municipality |
By-Law No. 21 — Municipal Sewers
+1 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual Sewer Service Charge based on unit value per consumer type (Schedule 'A'), rate set by Council; frontage rules apply · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Berwick Town |
Sewer Charge By-Law (No. 36)
+1 more |
billing basis: Annual Basic User Sewer Charge per property within 100 ft of sanitary sewer, based on share of operating and capital costs (flow/BOD based); separate Industrial and Residential Institutional User charges | 2026-06-05 |
| Bridgewater Town |
Chapter 206 — Wastewater Betterment Charge By-Law
+1 more adopted 2021-06-14 |
billing basis: Wastewater Betterment Charge per dwelling unit (residential) or per floor area (commercial), rates set in Policy 89-Fees · connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual sewer charge by area rate (% of assessed value), uniform charge per property category, or rate based on water consumption; set in Policy 89-Fees | 2026-06-05 |
| Cape Breton Regional municipality |
Wastewater Discharge By-law No. W-100 (amended to March 26, 2024)
adopted 2024-03-26 |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Quarterly base rate by water meter size plus volumetric wastewater discharge rate ($0.78 per cubic meter) based on metered water consumption | 2026-06-05 |
| Chester District municipality |
Municipal Sewers By-Law No. 34 | — | 2026-06-05 |
| Clare District municipality |
By-Law No. 23 — Sewer | connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Frontage charge per lineal foot plus annual sewer service charge per unit value (Appendix C and D) · fines: penalty not exceeding $250, or default imprisonment up to 1 month | 2026-06-05 |
| Colchester County municipality |
Sewer Use By-law — Chapter 29
+1 more adopted 2024-09-25 |
billing basis: Fee per litre of septic waste disposed at the wastewater treatment plant, set in Municipal Fees Policy (plus annual company licensing fee) · fines: $100-$5,000 and in default imprisonment up to 90 days · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Cumberland County municipality |
Nappan Water By-Law 02-01
+2 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Uniform capital charge of $3,500 per chargeable structure (or individual capital charge >=$3,500), payable in lump sum or 20 annual installments at 6% interest; collected as taxes · fines: $100-$2,000; each day a separate offence | 2026-06-05 |
| Digby District municipality |
By-law Relating to Sewer Discharge
+1 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: annual Sewer Service Charge by equivalent user units; plus gallonage charge for buildings discharging over 40,000 gallons/year | 2026-06-05 |
| Digby Town |
A By-law Respecting the Regulations of Discharges to the Public Sewer Systems No. 2000-05
+2 more |
billing basis: annual Sewer Service Charge calculated from total O&M costs divided by water consumption, applied per Schedule B based on annual water consumption (bi-monthly bill) · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| East Hants District municipality |
Sewer Bylaw IO-300 (amended by IO-300-1)
adopted 2024-07-24 |
billing basis: Urban Service Rate (on assessed value) plus Wastewater Management Fee charged per 1,000 gallons of water billed; schools $50/quarter/classroom where no water service | 2026-06-05 |
| Guysborough District municipality |
Guysborough Wastewater Management District By-law #10
+1 more adopted 2023-06-21 |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: per equivalent unit · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Halifax Regional municipality |
By-law S-100 Respecting Sewer Charges
+1 more adopted 1997-04-29 |
billing basis: Pollution Control charge based on actual volume of water billed for metered users; estimated/average consumption for unmetered users; minimum charge for serviced vacant land | 2026-06-05 |
| Inverness County municipality |
By-Law 30 — Capital Cost of Sewer and Water
+2 more adopted 2021-06-30 |
billing basis: frontage rate per lineal foot plus special trunk tax per unit, varying by service area (e.g. Port Hood $3.00/ft, $300 trunk); capital cost charged to fronting owners by frontage length · billing basis: annual Sewer Service Charge = assessed value of property times the rate required for operation and maintenance of the sewerage system | 2026-06-05 |
| Kentville Town |
Bylaw 203 — Sewers
adopted 2025-12-15 |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: annual Sanitary Sewer Service Charge via Town sewer rate model; for Kentville Water Commission customers, monthly meter-size rate plus consumption rate per 1,000 imperial gallons (Schedule B); non-Water-Utility users billed by similar-classification consumption | 2026-06-05 |
| Kings County municipality |
By-law 98 — Wastewater Sewer
+3 more |
billing basis: $30.00 per One Thousand Imperial Gallons of Septic Waste (or portion) delivered to the Septic Waste Treatment Facility, calculated monthly · billing basis: annual Sewer Service Charge = Multiplier (Schedule A) x Base Rate (set by Policy); car wash/variance properties charged 1.5 x Base Rate + Discharge x Discharge Rate; plus Sewer Capital Charge per Schedule B | 2026-06-05 |
| Lockeport Town |
Public Sewers By-Law (By-Law 36) | connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Cost recovered via tax levy; for tax-exempt connected properties, annual sewer service charge of $289.00 per unit per schedule | 2026-06-05 |
| Lunenburg District municipality |
By-law No. 011 — Municipal Sewer By-law
+2 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual charge by area rate (percentage of assessed value) or uniform charge per assessment/building connected or frontable · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Lunenburg Town |
Annual Sewer Charges By-law No. 924
+1 more |
billing basis: Annual charge: residential per dwelling unit; non-residential based on assessment; out-of-town users double the rate | 2026-06-05 |
| Mahone Bay Town |
Sewer Connection By-law (2009)
+4 more adopted 2009-03-24 |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Bi-monthly flat fee per connected property: $19 (1990), rising to $35.00 (effective April 1, 1996) · billing basis: Rates and charges as approved from time to time by the NS Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities; deposit equal to greater of $25 or est. 6 months charges | 2026-06-05 |
| Middleton Town |
Sewer Service Charge (No. 217)
+3 more |
billing basis: Annual sewer charge: flat fee of $250 plus a rate applied to assessment for 100% cost recovery; tax-exempt properties metered-water based; unmetered flat $29.75/quarter · connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Sewer frontage tax per lineal foot of frontage (set by by-law); connection entrance fee $200 single / $300 both sewers | 2026-06-05 |
| Mulgrave Town |
By-Law #05 — Sewer Charges By-Law
+2 more |
billing basis: Annual Sewer Service Charge = total operating/maintenance cost divided by all assessable properties and business occupancy assessments; billed with property tax · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| New Glasgow Town |
Wastewater Discharge Bylaw | — | 2026-06-05 |
| Oxford Town |
Sewer By-Law
+1 more |
— | 2026-06-05 |
| Pictou County municipality |
Sewer Back-Up By-Law
+5 more adopted 1996-10-07 |
billing basis: Licence to engage in removing/collecting/depositing sewage or sludge requires a $25.00 fee · billing basis: Sewer capital charge $3,000 for first equivalent user unit + $300 per additional unit (lateral installed after operational $5,000); annual sewer service charge = total operating cost divided by total equivalent user units times units on owner's land · connection mandatory: True | 2026-06-05 |
| Pictou Town |
Public Sewers By-Law | connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Sewer capital charge by service equivalents (one per single-user property of up to 5 units) amortized over 15 years per Schedule B; annual sewer operating charge by service equivalents or by metered potable water usage (method selected by Council) | 2026-06-05 |
| Port Hawkesbury Town |
Sewer Service Charge By-Law
adopted 2019-06-25 |
billing basis: Annual sewer service charge = assessed value of property times the rate deemed required for operation and maintenance of the sewerage system | 2026-06-05 |
| Queens Regional municipality |
By-law No. 11 - Regulation of Discharges to Municipal Sewerage Systems
adopted 2026-03-10 |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual Sewer Service Charge based on Equivalent User Units (Schedule A); plus connection fee, betterment charge, account creation fee | 2026-06-05 |
| Richmond County municipality |
By-Law 029 — Capital Cost of Sewer Construction (with Amendments)
+3 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Frontage charge: each owner pays up to $40.00 per lineal foot of serviceable frontage (min 60 ft deemed frontage); cost per lineal foot = project cost divided by total serviceable frontage; payable lump sum or over 15 years at 10% · billing basis: Special trunk sewer tax of an amount not to exceed $1,000.00 (set by by-law) levied on the owner of every lot served or capable of being served by the sewer; payable lump sum or over 15 years at 10% | 2026-06-05 |
| Shelburne District municipality |
Sewer By-law S-300 | billing basis: Annual sewer service charge by unit value per Type of Consumer (Schedule A); frontage-based | 2026-06-05 |
| Shelburne Town |
Public Sewer By-law
+1 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual Sewer Service Charge by type of facility/unit value (Appendix C); frontage-based · billing basis: Flat annual Sewer Service Charge per unit ($219-$260/unit across 2017-18 to 2019-20); connection fee $200 per connection | 2026-06-05 |
| St. Mary's District municipality |
Sewer By-law | connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual sewer maintenance operating charge per equivalent unit (actual operating/maintenance cost divided by units); capital cost fees frontage/unit based | 2026-06-05 |
| Stellarton Town |
Sewerage By-Law | billing basis: Frontage assessment - 50 cents per lineal foot of property frontage on sewer; balance paid by Town; payable in ten annual installments | 2026-06-05 |
| Stewiacke Town |
Sewer Charges Bylaw No. 75
+2 more |
billing basis: Sewer Service Charge based on water meter size (capacity ratio per Schedule A), billed quarterly; connection charge $1,000.00 · connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Connection fee per Fee Policy; all installation/connection/maintenance costs borne by owner | 2026-06-05 |
| Trenton Town |
By-Law 44: Sewer Connection
+2 more |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: All installation/connection/maintenance/repair costs (incl. permits) borne by owner · billing basis: Extra-strength/volume Surcharge Agreement for dischargers exceeding limits; fees set by municipality year-to-year | 2026-06-05 |
| Truro Town |
Sewer Use Bylaw No. 408 (amended, effective June 13, 2016)
adopted 2016-06-13 |
billing basis: Metered: based on amount of water consumed; $0.63/cubic metre up to 1250, $0.05/cubic metre over 1250 (Jul 2016-Mar 2017); thereafter set by Council resolution | 2026-06-05 |
| West Hants Regional municipality |
Sewer and Stormwater Connection, Disconnection and Charges By-law RCOS-003.00 | connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Operational and capital sewer charges per Council's Fees Policy: base rate plus metered-water consumption rate, OR area rate on assessed value, OR uniform charge per assessment/dwelling unit | 2026-06-05 |
| Westville Town |
Wastewater Discharge By-Law
adopted 2020-11-25 |
— | 2026-06-05 |
| Wolfville Town |
Chapter 21 - Sewer Discharge and Connection Bylaw | connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Sewer rates including connection fees, sewer service charges and sewer usage charges set by Council annually at the same time as annual tax rates | 2026-06-05 |
| Yarmouth District municipality |
Sewer By-law S-084-25
adopted 2025-06-12 |
connection mandatory: True · billing basis: Annual Sewer Maintenance Fee (quarterly) by Type of Consumer unit value per Appendix D and Fees Policy F-044-02; frontage-based vacant-land charge also applies; Council may meter | 2026-06-05 |
| Yarmouth Town |
Sewer Charges Bylaw (TOY 9C)
+3 more adopted 2025-06-12 |
billing basis: Annual Sewer Service Charge = annual base rate by meter size plus consumption rate per 1000 Imperial Gallons of metered water; non-users billed on average/50% of water rates · billing basis: Sewer connection permit fee $500; all installation/connection/maintenance/repair costs are owner's responsibility · billing basis: Water Supply Upgrade loan repaid by equal installments over up to 10 years with interest at 5%; becomes a first lien collectable as taxes | 2026-06-05 |
Nothing on file for water & sewer
Absence here is explicit, not a gap: each municipality below was checked, and its status says why there is no document.
Checked, nothing adopted (1) — Victoria (2026-06-05).
Other bylaws on file, none on this topic (2) — Annapolis, Clark's Harbour.