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 CountyRenters may also qualify if the water or wastewater bill is included in the rental payment, and the applicant is past due on rent.
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To find out if your water company is participating in LIHWAP and to start an application visit https://www.capsbc.org/lihwap
