Halifax regional council has approved a change to the way stormwater fees are charged.

In the summer of 2013, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board ruled the municipality has to cover the cost of the rainfall and meltwater that flows off paved roads. It ordered the city to pay a $3.9 million stormwater bill to Halifax Water.

Halifax initially opted to have the $41 per property fee put on water bills. That didn't go over well with residents who felt their water bills were high enough and they complained to their councillors.

Council voted Tuesday afternoon to put the stormwater charge on the municipal tax bill instead .

Coun. Russell Walker said he pushed for the change because of the volume of complaints he has received.

Coun, Matt Whitman has also said he heard from people who were unhappy with the fee.

"The charge is an HRM charge, not a Halifax water charge, and we're responsible for it," Walker said.

Many people contacted him saying that "their water bill is high enough with charges on it that relate to water, and this is one more thing, I had emails from all over HRM ... didn't want it on their bill," he said.