Council Adopts Private Fire Hydrant Bylaw

Municipality of Inverness County Council Adopts Private Fire Hydrant Bylaw

PORT HOOD, NOVA SCOTIA – At a Regular Meeting of Council on June 11, 2026, the Council of the Municipality of the County of Inverness voted to adopt the Private Fire Hydrant Bylaw, a new bylaw to set rules for how private fire hydrants are inspected, maintained, and kept in good working order. The decision was made as part of an ongoing bylaw modernization process.

Bylaw 66 – Private Fire Hydrant Bylaw protects public safety by ensuring:

• Firefighters always have working hydrants in an emergency;
• The municipal water system isn’t put at risk; and,
• Private property owners meet their responsibilities.

It creates consistent expectations and protects everyone who relies on private fire hydrants for protection services.

Council invited public feedback on the bylaw during the most recent Committee of the Whole meeting on April 16, 2026, before making its decision.

What is a private fire hydrant?

A private fire hydrant is one that is connected to the municipal water system, but owned and maintained by a private landowner, rather than owned and maintained by the Municipality.

Read detailed summary of the bylaw here.

Copies of all municipal bylaws are available online at invernesscounty.ca/government/bylaws/ and in print at the Municipal Administration Building during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday).

This notice is published in accordance with the Municipal Government Act, Section 169.