Halifax Water tries to triple fee on new developments

New home owners could be facing higher prices in the new year if Halifax Water is granted a proposed development fee increase.

The utility has applied to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to increase the development fee it charges on new homes.

For now it sits at more than $1,600 per home, but Halifax Water wants to increase it to $6,000.

"There's a cost to building a new house and we understand that nobody wants costs to go up, but our assertion is that new development should pay for new development," said James Campbell, a spokesman for Halifax Water.

"If a developer goes into a community and puts in new infrastructure, they're the ones that should pay for that because they getting the benefit from it, not the existing rate base. People who are on the system are already paying the cost."

Campbell said existing waste water pipes are old and in need of replacement or repair.

Nova Scotia's public utility regulator will hold hearings on the proposed increase in December.