Financial assistance up to $15,000 for water bill available for qualifying households

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY – San Bernardino County residents can apply for assistance up to $15,000 to help pay their water bill. Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County is administering the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) for income qualifying households.

Congress established LIHWAP in December 2020 and allocated California $116 million in one-time funding for LIHWAP to help reduce the burden of water and wastewater costs for low-income households.

Expanded Eligibility

The program recently extended assistance to cover current water bills as well as past due water bills. A one-time payment, up to a maximum of $2,000, is provided to help households pay a current or past-due bill accrued during any time frame.

“This expansion of eligibility to include households with current bills will provide much-needed assistance to Californians impacted by higher costs of living and struggling to pay their water bills,” said California Department of Community Services and Development Director David Scribner in a March 2023 news release.

Household Income Limits

LIHWAP is provided in the form of a credit on the water bill. The program pays credits directly to the water companies. To qualify for the assistance the household must be income eligible.

Photo credit: Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County

Renters may also qualify if the water or wastewater bill is included in the rental payment, and the applicant is past due on rent.

To find out if your water company is participating in LIHWAP and to start an application visit https://www.capsbc.org/lihwap