CBRM water utility seeks approval to spend up to $1.1M on private land purchases

Cape Breton Regional Municipality could be buying more private land to protect its water sources, if it gets approval from the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

The municipality is seeking regulatory approval to borrow up to half the cost of a project that could run to $1.1 million.

Spokesperson Christina Lamey said buying private land near drinking water sources can help ensure development does not impact the resource in the future.

"It could be prevention from development or it can be just management of the land in the first place, that it's not, for instance, cleared or that it's left as much as possible in its natural state," she said.

Lamey said the plan is not new, but the financing is.

"The water utility over the years has acquired and accumulated lands that are on the watershed into the water supply," she said.

"This is the first time, though, that we have been able to cost-share with the federal and provincial government on doing this."

CBRM is eligible for up to $540,000 in federal money toward the cost of the project, funnelled through the provincial Department of Environment.

In an email, a spokesperson for the province said the money was announced last year, but the province has not made any funding announcements yet.

Lamey said the utility is not targeting any specific lands but is seeking approval for the funding in case lands become available.

"At this point, they're looking at just the opportunity to cost-share on the potential for land purchases."

The utility has identified nine water sources and mapped out the land ownership surrounding them.

According to documents filed with the review board, CBRM plans to buy private land as it becomes available.

It will offer up to $2,700 per hectare, which the municipality said is the market rate set by the province.