As with any growing metropolis throughout the last century, the former City of Halifax had struggled to meet the ever-increasing demands of its residents for clean, safe drinking water.

The system grew by adding capacity from connections to additional lakes without resolving its maintenance and wastage problems.

Ravaged by two world wars and the Great Depression, by 1943, Halifax's water supply had deteriorated to a critical condition.

The most recent exciting opportunity arose in 2013 when HRWC filed claims[3] to the UARB for urgent and long-overdue upgrades and a 30% rate hike (11.2% in 2013 and 16.7% in 2014 for a cumulative increase of 29.8%).

[citation needed] Halifax Water is a sponsor of the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Dartmouth.