Saint John council wants to scrap the plumbing permit fee for those who install water softeners until the end of 2019.
The request was made by Councillor Greg Norton in light of the problems being caused by hard water on the west side.
Norton said if the city is going to recommend water softeners to reduce the hardness of the water, the least it can do is scrap the fee.
As it stands, the general plumbing permit fee includes a $65 base processing fee plus $20 per fixture.
The city’s Amy Poffenroth says the change would apply to everyone in the city, including those who’ve installed water softeners since Sept. 14.
“Since the middle of September … there have been about 28 plumbing permits issued so far for the installation water softeners,” says Poffenroth. “That’s a combination of residential installations and commercial installations.”
Pleased that the recommendation in response to the motion re. Plumbing Permit Fee has arrived for council consideration: https://t.co/ry9KOrDOms pic.twitter.com/xgL3r4bEmT
— Greg Norton (@GregNortonSJ) March 23, 2018
Most of the permits — 24 of them, to be exact — were issued to properties on the west side of the city.
Poffenroth explains why the city even requires plumbing permits in the first place.
“We do have a national plumbing code,” she says, “and when you have a licensed plumber do work at your home or business, they ensure that the work meets the code, and our inspectors go out during and after the construction to ensure it also meets.”
As for how much this would cost the city, Poffenroth says they’d lose an estimated $11,000 in permit revenue.
The matter will come back to council for third reading on April 9.
