Town Departments
Water
Quarterly Billing Schedule
January - Bills are mailed by the last day of the month, due the last business day of February
April - Bills are mailed by the last day of the month, due the last business day of June
July - Bills are mailed by the last day of the month, due the last business day of August
October - Bills are mailed by the last day of the month, due the last business day of November
Current water rates and regulations as presented by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
Water Rates
- Metered – Consumption Rate = $0.894 per cubic metre (billed quarterly)
- Un-metered = $95.81 quarterly
- Sprinkler System 6” =$250.00 per Annum
- Sprinkler System 8” =$300.00 per Annum
- Private Hydrants =$250.00 per Annum
If you require water services to an undeveloped lot in Amherst please call 902-667-3352.
Documents
- pdf North Tyndal Wellfield(1.07 MB)
- pdf Wellfield Protection Strategy(36 KB)
- pdf Production Transmission Distribution(675 KB)
- pdf Disinfection(27 KB)
- pdf Amherst Water Utility Meets Federal-Provincial Requirements(68 KB)
Sewer
Owners of non-residential properties or businesses are encouraged to review the bylaw as strict limits are included for concentrations of certain substances which are deemed to be detrimental to the efficient operation of a sewage collection system and sewage treatment plant.
Sewer Rates
Based on Water Consumption
- Residential =$0.99 cubic metre – billed quarterly
- Commercial =$0.49 cubic metre – billed quarterly
- Sewer Flat Un-metered (Mini Homes) =$52.51 per quarter
If you require wastewater services to an undeveloped lot in Amherst please call 902-667-3352.
Documents
Engineering Services facilitates the Town's Capital Program including the preparation of tender documents and supervision of tenders awarded by Council. Engineering is also responsible for the maintenance and upgrading of major structures owned by the Town and for the maintenance of Town-owned infrastructure information, and all related legal documents and agreements, including private parking lots.
Operations Director: Aaron Bourgeois
Phone: 902-667-3352
Email:
Engineering Technolgist: Jay Crossman
Phone: 902-694-0081
Email:
Public Works operates from the Town Garage on McCully Street in Amherst. The Public Works staff consists of a director, operations manager, transportation foreman, engineering service manager, clerk, and 24 full-time and seasonal employees who are responsible for the planning, operations and maintenance of the town streets, sidewalks, snow and ice removal, traffic control lights located in the town, sewers, storm drainage, equipment and the water utility.
For after-hours Public Works emergencies call our dispatch center at 902-667-7227.
Maintaining and Repairing Town of Amherst Roads
Potholes, alligator cracking, delamination, seam separation and frost heaves are all caused by the annual thaw-freeze cycle.
Pothole
Potholes are repaired using hot recycled asphalt
Alligator Cracking
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Delamination
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Seam Separation
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Frost Heave
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Report potholes and other road defects at 902-667-3352.
Potholes
Potholes are created each year through the regular thaw-freeze cycle, which is the reason they seem to proliferate during springtime.
The temperature rises, snow melts, and water seeps through tiny cracks in the pavement into the street’s subbase. When the temperature drops, the water refreezes, becoming ice that expands, which in turn forces the pavement above it and the ground below it to flex. As traffic drives over the flexing street, the pavement weakens.
Eventually, it weakens to the point where the asphalt pops out and exposes the street’s subbase.
Repairs
Town of Amherst Operations Department crews work to repair potholes during the winter and spring. Repairs are triggered by the Town becoming aware of the potholes. This is done through staff monitoring of streets and citizens reporting potholes.
Citizens are encouraged to report potholes. Doing so creates a work order, which triggers an inspection of the pothole. Based on a number of factors – available resources, damage that could occur, size, location, and traffic volume on the street – the pothole is prioritized and addressed.
The greater the hazard, the higher the priority to fix, however, not all potholes need to be, or can be, repaired right away. Some are addressed in other ways, such as with a pylon or barricade.
What Can You Do?
- Slow down
- Avoid driving in puddles where possible
- Report potholes
Reporting Potholes
You can report a pothole by calling customer service at 902-667-3352 or
Director: Aaron Bourgeois
Phone: 902-667-3352
Fax: 902-667-5409
Email:
Public Works Manager: Jason McBurnie
Phone: 902-694-5279
Email:
Public Works Manager: Paul Hawkes
Phone: 902-694-0380
Email:
