LIHWAP Water Assistance: What It Was and What to Do Now

2026 UPDATE: The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) was a temporary federal program that helped low-income households with overdue water and wastewater bills. It ended in 2024 and is no longer accepting applications. This guide is here to explain what LIHWAP did and where you can turn now if you’re worried about your water bill.

LIHWAP was created during the COVID emergency to keep people’s taps running and toilets flushing when money was tight. Funded with about $1.1 billion from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act, it ran through states, territories, and tribal organizations. Together, they used LIHWAP to prevent shut‑offs, reconnect service, and lower bills for roughly 1.5 million households.

What LIHWAP Was

LIHWAP was a time-limited emergency program that helped low-income households with drinking water and wastewater bills. It was designed to:

Reduce or clear overdue water and sewer balances.
Prevent shut‑offs for households behind on bills.
Restore service for people who had already been disconnected.

At the federal level, LIHWAP was administered by the Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at HHS. In most places, it was run by the same agencies that already handled LIHEAP (energy assistance) and other utility‑help programs.

How LIHWAP Was Funded

Federal reports show that LIHWAP was funded at roughly $1.1 billion total, including:

About $500 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
About $638 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

States, territories, and tribal organizations applied for this money and then set up and adapted local programs to review applications. They worked with water and wastewater utility providers to verify accounts. Any assistance awarded by the LIHWAP program were sent directly to the utility providers, not the customers. In that way, it worked very similar to the better-known and longer-lasting LIHEAP program.

LIHWAP By the Numbers

ccording to federal LIHWAP reports, the program:

Served roughly 1.5 million households, covering an estimated 3.8 million individuals.
Provided an average benefit of about $448 per household.
Prevented around 924,000 disconnections and restored water service for about 102,000 households.
Reduced over 1.1 million water and wastewater bills.
Partnered with more than 17,000 water and wastewater providers nationwide.

Those numbers are historical now—but they show how powerful this program was while it lasted.

The LIHWAP Timeline

LIHWAP was always meant to be temporary. Here’s the simplified timeline, based on federal guidance:

2021: Funding became available under the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.
Original project period end: September 30, 2023, with a liquidation deadline of December 31, 2023.
No‑cost extension: Grantees could request extra time to:
- Obligate funds through March 31, 2024.
- Liquidate funds (actually pay out the money) through June 30, 2024.

After those dates, LIHWAP was considered fully concluded. States, territories, and tribal organizations can’t issue new LIHWAP benefits, and households cannot newly apply for this program in 2026.

Bottom line: LIHWAP is over. If you see an old webpage saying you can still apply, it’s just outdated.

Who Was Eligible

While LIHWAP was active, the federal government set some broad guardrails and then let each grantee fine‑tune the rules. In general:

Income limits could not be higher than the greater of 150% of the Federal Poverty Line or 60% of State Median Income.
States, territories, and tribal organizations could choose stricter limits if they wanted.
Grantees were required to prioritize households that:
- Had past‑due water or wastewater bills.
- Had shut‑off notices.
- Had recently been disconnected.
Many programs could also help households experiencing very high water burdens (when water/sewer costs took up a big chunk of the household’s income) even before a shut‑off notice appeared.

So while a lot of messaging focused on overdue bills and disconnections, some households with current bills but very high costs could also get help, depending on how their state or tribal program was set up.

How to Get Help Now

Even though LIHWAP is gone, you still have options. If you’re behind on your water bill—or worried you’re heading that way—here are practical next steps you can take.

Apply for LIHEAP

LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is still funded and helps with heating and cooling costs. That might sound separate from water, but it can still free up money in your budget.

Many of the same agencies that ran LIHWAP still run LIHEAP and other utility‑help programs. You can use the official LIHEAP portal at energyhelp.us to look up your local office or check out our LIHEAP and utility‑bill help guides for your state for more details and tips.

If your power bill is stressing you out as much as your water bill, LIHEAP is a really good place to start.

Contact Community Action

Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are local nonprofits that manage a whole bundle of anti‑poverty programs. Even without LIHWAP, they often run emergency funds for rent and utilities. They may be able to help with payment plans or crisis grants for other expenses like water and sewer bills. They can often connect you to local charities that can step in when government programs can’t.

To find your local CAA, you can search online for “Community Action Agency + your county or city.” Check your city or county human‑services or social‑services website.

Call 211 or Check United Way

Dialing 211 (or visiting your local 211/United Way website) is one of the fastest ways to see what’s available in your area right now.

When you contact 211, you can ask specifically about water-bill assistance, utility shut‑off prevention, or crisis funds. You can also get referrals to nonprofits, churches, local relief funds, and government programs you might not find on your own.

Ask Your Utility Company

This step feels awkward, but it’s important: call your water provider directly. Many utilities have:

Hardship funds or charity‑supported grant programs.
Payment plans that spread your balance out over time.
Customer assistance programs that lower bills for low‑income, senior, or disabled customers.

TIP: When you call, you can say something like: “I’m low income, and I’m worried about shut‑off. Are there any hardship funds, payment plans, or discount programs I can apply for?”

If you have medical issues, young kids, or other serious risks, mention that too. Some utilities have extra protections for medically vulnerable households.

Relief Recap

LIHWAP was a temporary federal program that helped low-income households pay overdue water and wastewater bills during the COVID emergency, but it officially ended in 2024. Since the federal deadlines for using LIHWAP funds have passed, there are no new LIHWAP benefits available in 2026 — so if you see a website saying you can still apply, it’s simply outdated.

The good news is you still have options if your water bill is getting out of control. Start by calling your water company to ask about hardship programs, payment plans, or discounts, and then check with 211, your local Community Action Agency, and LIHEAP to see what help is available in your area right now. And as always, we’ll keep updating our guides as new relief programs become available.