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Managing household utility bills can be a significant challenge for many American families. When financial difficulties arise, knowing where to turn for help is crucial.
This article explores whether the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can assist with water bills and explains the now-concluded Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).
Understanding LIHEAP
What LIHEAP Covers
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a long-standing federal initiative designed to help households manage their energy costs.
LIHEAP’s primary purpose is to assist low-income households, particularly those paying a high proportion of their income for home energy, in meeting their immediate home energy needs. “Home energy” under LIHEAP specifically means a source of space-heating or space-cooling in residential dwellings.
The program helps keep families safe by reducing costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor energy-related home repairs. This focus on “immediate home energy needs” and preventing “health and safety problems from unsafe heating and cooling situations” makes LIHEAP not just a bill subsidy but a critical crisis intervention program.
LIHEAP is authorized by Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35) and targets benefits to households with low incomes, especially those with a high home energy burden or members who are elderly, disabled, or young children.
Types of LIHEAP Assistance
LIHEAP offers several types of assistance, all related to home energy. The specific help available varies depending on location. Check with your local LIHEAP provider to understand which services are offered in your area:
Heating Assistance: Helps eligible households pay for primary home heating costs. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, approximately 5 million households received LIHEAP-funded heating assistance.
Cooling Assistance: Provides help with home cooling costs, crucial in areas with extreme summer heat. In FY23, about 927,000 households received cooling assistance.
Crisis Assistance: Offers aid to households facing immediate energy emergencies, such as utility shut-off notices, empty fuel tanks, or broken heating/cooling systems. There were an estimated 1.4 million instances of crisis assistance in FY23.
Weatherization Assistance: LIHEAP grant recipients can use up to 15% of their funding (or up to 25% with a waiver) for low-cost residential weatherization or energy-related home repairs. These services help make homes more energy-efficient, reducing energy consumption and lowering utility bills long-term. In FY23, 61,000 households received weatherization assistance through LIHEAP.
Minor Energy-Related Home Repairs: Grant recipients can use LIHEAP funds for low-cost repairs or replacements of essential home energy equipment, such as furnaces or air conditioners.
How LIHEAP Works
LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered as a block grant. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS), allocates LIHEAP funds to states, the District of Columbia, federally recognized Native American tribes and tribal organizations, and U.S. territories.
These state, tribal, and territorial recipients are responsible for distributing assistance to eligible households within their jurisdictions. The federal government does not provide LIHEAP benefits directly to individuals.
This decentralized structure means that while there are federal guidelines (e.g., income eligibility caps must be set no higher than the greater of 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or 60% of State Median Income, and no less than 110% of FPG), specific program details like exact income limits, application periods, benefit levels, and services offered vary significantly by location.
Finding LIHEAP Offices
To apply for LIHEAP or get more information, contact your local LIHEAP office:
Online Search Tool: The LIHEAP Clearinghouse, managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) under a contract with HHS, provides an online search tool to find local intake providers. This can often be accessed via EnergyHelp.us or the direct search tool link. The energyhelp.us site is available in English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.
National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR): NCAT also operates the NEAR hotline, a toll-free service providing information on where to apply for LIHEAP.
- Phone: 1-866-674-6327 (Monday through Friday, Mountain Time)
- Email: [email protected] (include city, county, and state in the message)
LIHWAP: Water Assistance Program
Purpose of LIHWAP
While LIHEAP addresses energy needs, the challenge of affording water and wastewater services led to the creation of a separate, targeted federal program.
The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) was established to provide funds specifically to assist low-income households with their water and wastewater bills. Its primary goals were to help households pay arrearages (past-due bills) and current rates charged for drinking water and/or wastewater services.
A key priority of LIHWAP was to ensure that households whose services had been disconnected due to non-payment, or were facing imminent disconnection, could have their services restored quickly.
The establishment of LIHWAP marked a significant federal acknowledgment that water affordability is a distinct and critical issue, separate from energy affordability, requiring its own dedicated program. Before LIHWAP, there was no comprehensive federal program focused solely on helping households maintain access to essential water and wastewater services.
LIHWAP and LIHEAP Connection
LIHWAP was closely linked to LIHEAP in its administration. LIHWAP grants were made available to states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and federally and state-recognized Indian Tribes and tribal organizations that had received fiscal year (FY) 2021 LIHEAP grants.
This administrative connection meant that, in many cases, the same state or tribal agencies responsible for LIHEAP also managed LIHWAP.
The eligibility criteria for households seeking LIHWAP assistance were similar to those for LIHEAP. Each grant recipient set its own specific income eligibility limits for LIHWAP, but these limits could be no more than the greater of 150% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) or 60% of the State Median Income (SMI).
This approach leveraged the existing LIHEAP administrative infrastructure, enabling rapid deployment and operational efficiency for the new water assistance program. However, this close operational tie, with the same local offices sometimes handling both programs, may have inadvertently contributed to public confusion, potentially leading some to believe that LIHEAP itself was the source of water bill assistance.
Current Status of LIHWAP
Federal funding for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is no longer available. Households cannot receive LIHWAP benefits through this specific federal program at this time.
LIHWAP was established with specific, time-limited appropriations. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law No.: 116-260), signed on December 27, 2020, included $638 million in funding for HHS to administer these grants. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No.: 117-2), signed on March 11, 2021, appropriated an additional $500 million to the LIHWAP effort.
The program officially concluded its operations, and the Office of Community Services (OCS) at HHS released the Final LIHWAP Implementation and Impact Report on January 10, 2025, detailing the program’s activities from its inception through its closeout in June 2024.
The termination of LIHWAP, despite its documented success and ongoing need for water assistance, creates an assistance vacuum. This places considerable pressure on smaller or less comprehensively funded local and state resources, as well as non-profit organizations, to meet continuing demand.
LIHWAP Achievements
During its operation, LIHWAP had a significant positive impact on households across the nation. The program served over 1.5 million households, benefiting a total of 3.8 million individuals. Key achievements from its FY23 program highlights include:
- Preventing over 924,000 water service disconnections
- Restoring water services for more than 102,000 households
- Assisting 1.1 million households with reductions in their current water bills
- Providing an average benefit amount of $448 per household
The program’s impact extended across 49 states (North Dakota opted out), Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories. The substantial number of households assisted by LIHWAP in its relatively short lifespan underscores the widespread and acute nature of water affordability challenges in the U.S.
As the first-ever federal water assistance program, its rapid uptake and high impact suggest a significant pre-existing unmet need that programs like LIHEAP, by their design focused on energy, could not address.
LIHEAP vs. LIHWAP: Key Differences
Given the information about both programs, it’s important to directly address the core question: No, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to help with home energy costs (such as heating and cooling) and does NOT directly cover water or wastewater bills. LIHWAP was the separate, temporary federal program specifically created for water and wastewater assistance.
The very existence of LIHWAP, with its distinct funding and mandate, serves as strong evidence that LIHEAP’s scope does not include water bills. If LIHEAP had been able to cover these costs, the creation of a new, separate federal program for water assistance would likely not have been necessary.
To further clarify, the table below offers a side-by-side comparison:
Table 1: LIHEAP vs. LIHWAP at a Glance
| Feature | LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) | LIHWAP (Low Income Household Water Assistance Program) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Assist with home energy (heating & cooling) bills | Assist with household water and wastewater bills |
| Bills Covered | Heating fuel, electricity for cooling/heating, energy crisis assistance, weatherization, minor energy-related home repairs | Drinking water bills, wastewater bills (arrearages and current rates) |
| Administering Agency (Federal) | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children & Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children & Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) |
| Current Federal Funding Status (as of early 2025) | Ongoing, subject to annual appropriations by Congress | Funding Expired; Program Closed to New Applications (Concluded June 2024) |
| How to Apply (General) | Through local state, tribal, or territorial LIHEAP offices (e.g., via https://liheapch.acf.gov/search-tool or NEAR hotline) | N/A (Program Closed) – Previously through designated state/tribal/territorial LIHWAP agencies |
Water Affordability Challenges
Although the federal LIHWAP program has ended, the underlying problem of water affordability persists and is growing across the United States. Millions of American households struggle to pay their water and wastewater bills, a situation exacerbated by several factors.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “affordable” water access is often benchmarked by households paying no more than 3% to 4.5% of their income on these services. However, millions of households exceed this threshold, with some lower-income households paying up to 40% or more of their income on water bills.
This financial strain is significant, as water and sewer bills for the typical U.S. household have increased by 24% over the past five years. More recently, median monthly water utility payments were reported to be up 7.1% year-over-year in March 2025.
The scale of the problem is vast: an estimated 12.1 million to 19.2 million households nationwide lack affordable access to water services, with the total cost of these unaffordable bills ranging from $5.1 billion to $8.8 billion annually. This leads to a situation where, on average, 20% of U.S. households are in “water debt” to their utilities.
Lower-income households are disproportionately affected. While higher-income households may pay more in absolute dollar amounts, lower-income households pay a much larger percentage of their overall income towards water bills. For instance, for those at 75% of the federal poverty level, the average water burden (percentage of income spent on water and sewer services) can be as high as 7.3%.
Factors Driving Water Costs
Several factors contribute to rising water costs:
Aging Infrastructure: The EPA estimates that over $744 billion in improvements are needed for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure over the next two decades to fix issues like leaking pipes and upgrade outdated treatment plants.
Operational Costs: Substantial capital costs, along with ongoing operational and maintenance expenses, regulatory compliance requirements, the impacts of extreme weather patterns, and growing populations, put upward pressure on water rates.
Utilities often pass these increased costs on to consumers. This has a particularly severe impact on low-income households, who have less capacity to absorb such increases, leading to greater financial hardship, accumulation of water debt, and the risk of service disconnection.
The increasing difficulty in affording water, a fundamental necessity, raises significant social equity concerns, highlighting a challenge where access is becoming more dependent on the ability to pay rather than being ensured as a basic right.
Finding Water Bill Assistance Now
With the federal LIHWAP program no longer funded, individuals and families struggling with water bills need to explore other avenues for assistance. The landscape of support is now more fragmented, relying on a combination of national referral services, state and local initiatives, non-profit organizations, and direct utility company programs.
Federal Guidance and Resources
While there isn’t a dedicated federal water bill program currently, several national portals can help guide individuals to potential resources:
Benefits.gov: This official U.S. government website allows users to answer a series of questions to determine their eligibility for a wide range of federal and state benefit programs. While it may not list specific local water assistance programs directly, it serves as a valuable starting point for a comprehensive benefits screening.
2-1-1: By dialing 2-1-1 from any phone or visiting their website, individuals can connect with local health and human service specialists who maintain databases of community resources, including utility assistance programs. Their website often has a dedicated section for utility expense assistance.
Administration for Children & Families (ACF) / Office of Community Services (OCS) Website: Even though LIHWAP is closed, the ACF’s LIHWAP page still provides valuable links to general resources such as Benefits.gov, 2-1-1, and Community Action Agencies. They also offer downloadable PDF guides with information on finding water assistance.
These national portals act as crucial navigators in the current assistance landscape, helping individuals sort through the complexity to find relevant local aid, especially important now that a centralized federal water program is not active.
State and Local Resources
State Utility Commissions: Residents should consider contacting their state’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) or Public Service Commission (PSC). These state-level government agencies regulate utility companies and may have information on specific assistance programs available within the state, consumer rights related to utility service, or utility-specific aid programs.
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) provides a directory on its website to help locate state commission contact information.
Community Action Agencies (CAAs): Community Action Agencies are local non-profit or public organizations that deliver a wide array of services to low-income individuals and families. They were often key partners in the local administration of both LIHEAP and LIHWAP.
Because of their established role in administering federal assistance, CAAs are uniquely positioned to be aware of any replacement or supplementary water assistance programs available at the local level, even if those programs are not federally funded. Individuals can find their local CAA through the Community Action Partnership website.
Non-Profit Organizations
Several national and regional non-profit organizations provide utility assistance. Their programs often fill gaps left by government initiatives and can sometimes offer more flexible aid:
Dollar Energy Fund: This organization operates in multiple states, frequently partnering with utility companies to provide hardship grants, including for water bills. Their website features an online eligibility tool and an agency finder to connect applicants with local help.
This model of public-private partnership, where non-profits administer assistance funded by or in collaboration with utility companies (e.g., Aqua Customer Assistance Program, Pennsylvania American Water’s H2O Help to Others Program), is becoming increasingly common.
Salvation Army: Local Salvation Army centers often provide emergency financial assistance, which can extend to help with utility bills, including water. It’s best to contact the nearest local chapter to inquire about available aid.
United Way: As previously mentioned, United Way is a key referral service through 2-1-1, but it also directly funds and supports a multitude of local programs that may include utility assistance.
National Council on Aging (NCOA): NCOA offers the BenefitsCheckUp® tool which helps older adults find various benefits programs they may be eligible for, including utility assistance.
Utility Company Programs
It is always advisable for customers to contact their specific water utility company directly. Many utility companies offer their own Customer Assistance Programs (CAPs), budget billing plans, levelized payment options, or hardship funds.
These programs may be funded by company contributions, shareholder funds, or voluntary customer donations (e.g., Aqua America’s “Aqua Aid” program). For example, Pennsylvania American Water offers the H2O Help to Others Program, which includes grants, bill discounts, and an arrearage forgiveness component, administered by Dollar Energy Fund.
Utility companies are increasingly recognizing that such CAPs are not merely charitable acts but also sound business practices, as they can help reduce bad debt, lower the costs associated with service disconnections and reconnections, and improve overall customer relations.
State or Local Government Initiatives
In response to the ongoing need and the conclusion of the federal LIHWAP, some state or municipal governments have established their own water assistance programs or may be utilizing other funding sources (such as remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds or local general funds) to continue providing some level of support.
These initiatives will be highly localized and will vary significantly from one area to another. For example, Raleigh, North Carolina, has a Utility Customer Assistance Program (UCAP) that has operated using various funding sources, including past LIHWAP funds.
Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services has a webpage for its Water Assistance Program, and Connecticut’s Department of Social Services maintained information on LIHWAP and how to apply through Community Action Agencies when it was active.
The end of a unified federal program like LIHWAP may spur further innovation at state and local levels as these entities grapple with the water affordability crisis, potentially leading to a more varied, but also possibly more tailored, assistance landscape.
The EPA also offers Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) programs to support states, tribes, and communities in building capacity to address water infrastructure and management challenges, which could indirectly support the development of local assistance solutions.
The following table summarizes key resources for finding water bill assistance now that federal LIHWAP funding has ended:
Table 2: Key Resources for Water Bill Assistance (Post-LIHWAP Federal Funding)
| Resource Type | How to Access/Contact | Key URL / Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| National General Portals | Website | https://www.usa.gov/benefit-finder?utm_source=usa_benefits-gov&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=redirect_benefits-gov&modal=b-welcome-1899 | Screens for various federal/state benefits. |
| Phone or Website | Dial 2-1-1 or https://www.211.org/ | Connects to local health & human services, including utility aid. | |
| State Utility Commissions | Website Directory | https://www.naruc.org/about-naruc/our-mission/regulatory-commissions/ | Find your state’s commission for state-specific programs/rules. |
| Local Community Action Agencies | Website Directory | https://communityactionpartnership.com/find-a-cap/ | Local agencies providing various support services; often knowledgeable about local utility aid. |
| Non-Profit: Dollar Energy Fund | Website | https://www.dollarenergy.org/ | Operates in select states; often partners with utilities for hardship programs. |
| Non-Profit: Salvation Army | Website (for local centers) | https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/ | Emergency assistance, including utilities, varies by location; contact local chapter. |
| Non-Profit: United Way | Phone or Website | Dial 2-1-1 or https://www.unitedway.org/ | Connects to and supports local programs. |
| Non-Profit: NCOA BenefitsCheckUp® | Website | https://benefitscheckup.org:443/ | Focus on older adults, screens for various benefits including utility assistance. |
| Direct Water Utility Company | Check your bill for contact info or search online | Varies by company | Always ask your provider directly about Customer Assistance Programs (CAPs), payment plans, or hardship funds. |
| EPA Water Technical Assistance | Website | https://www.epa.gov/water-infrastructure/water-technical-assistance-waterta | Primarily for communities/utilities, may support development of local solutions and capacity building. |
How to Seek Water Bill Assistance
Navigating the process of seeking assistance can feel daunting, but taking proactive steps and being prepared can make a difference.
Steps When Behind on Bills
If struggling to pay water bills, it’s crucial to act promptly. Early communication can often lead to better outcomes and prevent more severe consequences like service disconnection. Utility companies frequently prefer to work with customers to arrange payments rather than undergoing the costly process of disconnection and subsequent reconnection.
Consider these steps, based on advice from organizations like the National Council on Aging:
- Contact Your Water Utility Company Immediately: Don’t wait until a disconnection notice arrives or service is shut off. Call the customer service number on the bill, explain the situation causing difficulty in payment, and inquire about all available options.
- Ask About Assistance and Payment Options: Specifically ask if the utility offers any Customer Assistance Programs (CAPs), deferred payment plans, budget billing (which averages payments over the year), or any temporary hardship funds.
- Document Communications: Keep a record of all interactions. Note the date and time of calls, the names of representatives spoken with, and any agreements or payment arrangements made. If possible, request written confirmation of any plans.
Required Documentation
While specific requirements vary depending on the program and administering agency, individuals applying for water bill assistance should generally be prepared to provide:
- Proof of Identity: For the applicant and possibly all household members (e.g., driver’s license, state ID)
- Proof of Address: Documentation showing residence at the service address (e.g., current lease agreement, mortgage statement, recent utility bill in the applicant’s name, rent receipt)
- Proof of Gross Household Income: For all adult members of the household for a specified period (e.g., recent pay stubs, W-2 forms, award letters for Social Security, SSI, disability, or veteran benefits, unemployment benefit statements, pension statements, or proof of child support)
- Water/Wastewater Bill: A recent copy of the water and/or wastewater bill, especially if it includes a past-due amount or a disconnection notice
- Social Security Numbers: For all household members (often required for programs with federal links or for verification purposes)
- Proof of Household Composition: Documentation to verify the number of people living in the household (e.g., birth certificates for children, school records)
Gathering extensive documentation can sometimes be a challenge for vulnerable populations, including those without stable housing, individuals paid in cash, or those with limited access to copying or scanning facilities. Application assistance may be available through Community Action Agencies or other non-profit organizations, and it is worth inquiring about such support if needed.
Being prepared with as much of this information as possible can help streamline the application process.
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