Municipal Water customers in Queens will see compensation for a boil water advisory that lasted almost nine weeks.

The Region of Queens applied to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) and was approved to provide a one-time 70 percent rate reduction to be applied to the current water bill.

Municipal water customers had to boil their water after lightning struck the water treatment plant, damaging essential equipment on Aug 7.

In its decision, the UARB says the boil-water advisory was reasonable and beyond the control of the water utility. The decision stated they saw no other way to ensure the safety of the drinking water.

Mayor Darlene Norman says she is pleased with the review board’s decision. “We were given what we asked and also noted that we did what was expected to ensure consumers safety,” said Norman.

The Region of Queens estimates the approved one-time rate reduction will cost the utility $56,000 which will come from an unused water reserve fund initially intended to provide sediment removal.

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