Utilities & heating · Nationwide
Help With Water and Sewer Bills
The federal water assistance program ended in 2024. Help now comes from your own water utility and local funds.
Written and checked by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Checked August 25, 2026
What it is typically worth
$100 – $1,000 a year
An estimate for a typical household. Your amount depends on your income, your state, and your situation.
What this program is, in plain English
The federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, LIHWAP, ended on March 31, 2024. There are no new federal water benefits, and any page or person telling you to apply for LIHWAP in 2026 is out of date. Help with a water or sewer bill is now local. Start with the number on your water bill and ask for the utility's Customer Assistance Program, which may be a low-income rate, a senior discount, or a bill credit. Ask about a payment plan and about arrearage forgiveness, where the utility wipes part of an old balance if you keep current going forward. Many cities and water districts also run a hardship fund paid for by other customers' donations. A few states run their own water programs, including California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Then call 211, which tracks the local church and charity funds that pay water bills in your county.
What you actually get
A lower rate, a bill credit, a protected payment plan, or forgiveness of part of an overdue balance, depending on what your own water utility and county offer.
Who qualifies
- Income limit: Not yet verified — call to confirm
- Programs and income limits vary by water utility and by state.
What to have ready
- Your water bill
- Proof of income
- Photo identification
- Any shut-off notice
How to apply
This program is run by Local water and sewer utilities, county human services agencies, and 211 referral networks. Most decisions take Varies widely by utility.
We are not a government agency. These links go straight to the agency that runs the program. Applying is always free.
Every program on this site is free to apply for. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, or to “unlock” a government benefit, is a scam — hang up and call Senior Medicare Patrol or 211.
Report something wrong on this page
Sources
- Program page — acf.gov
- Local water and sewer utilities, county human services agencies, and 211 referral networks — acf.gov
- Legal authority: Federal LIHWAP authority (Pub. L. 116-260 and Pub. L. 117-2) expired; the program ended March 31, 2024. Remaining help is governed by state public utility commission rules and local utility tariffs.
Checked August 25, 2026 by Jason Burns (http fetch + content check 2026-08-25; info_url cited as the authoritative record that the federal program ended). Licensed under the Citation License 1.0.
Related programs
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- Lifeline Phone and Internet DiscountTakes at least $9.25 a month off a phone or internet bill, more on tribal lands.
- Arkansas LIHEAP: help paying the heating and cooling billHow Arkansas runs LIHEAP, who to call, and when applications open.
- South Carolina LIHEAP: help paying the heating and cooling billHow South Carolina runs LIHEAP, who to call, and when applications open.
Not sure if this one is for you?
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