Residents of the Municipality of the County of Antigonish can now get $50 back when they buy a new rain barrel, thanks to a pilot program launched on June 15, 2026. The rebate aims to help households collect rainwater for gardens, lawns, and other outdoor uses at a time when Nova Scotia has been facing increasingly dry conditions and high summer water demand.
The Rain Barrel Rebate Program has a total of $5,000 set aside from the Sustainable Communities operating budget. That is enough to support up to 100 households on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are open until September 30, 2026, or until the money runs out.
To qualify, residents must have purchased a new rain barrel on or after April 1, 2026. They need to fill out an application and bring it along with their receipt to the Municipal Office at 285 Beech Hill Road.
The program comes after a stretch of dry weather that pushed the Town of Antigonish to issue mandatory water conservation orders in August 2025. At the time, water levels at the James River Dam had fallen so low that restrictions were put in place for town residents and those in the county’s fringe area. As of May 2026, about 15 percent of Nova Scotia remained under active drought and another 39 percent was unusually dry.
The county will review the pilot in the fall or winter of 2026 to decide whether to continue or expand the rebate in future years. The Town of Antigonish is running its own separate rain barrel rebate program as well.
