Residents have utilized 12 per cent of city’s water conservation subsidy budget
By Medicine Hat News on June 26, 2024.
@MedicineHatNews Hatters have claimed nearly $18,000 in grants and refunds related to their water saving projects, city officials report. This spring, council approved providing up to $150,000 in incentives and refunds for water customers to reduce water use as a 10 per cent citywide goal set to conserve. Acting development and infrastructure director Jamie Garland told a committee meeting on June 20 that 86 applications had been received for partial refund toward landscaping items like drought-tolerant grass turf or seed, other ground recover, irrigation control systems and low flow sprinkler heads as well as toilets. Receipts are required and only Medicine Hat residents with city water bills are eligible on a first-come, first-served basis. The program expires this year, though discussions when approved in May involved the possibility of developing a revolving “Residential Water Conversation Incentive Program” in the next two-year budget. That could be funded with additional charges on above average consumption, similar to the HatSmart energy savings program, though current program funding comes from city reserves. 8-7
