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Water

Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash

LIHWA is not available at this time.

The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWA) is a federal program that helps low-income households pay for their water and wastewater.  LIHWA was funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act which ended September 30, 2023.

Finding alternative funding brings challenges such as limited resources, administrative barriers, and legal issues.


Anyone wishing to help fund and continue a water assistance program, through CAPECO, is urged to Contact Us or visit our Donate page.

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program

The new Federal program, Low-Income Household Water Assistance (LIHWA) Program, is available to help households pay their water and wastewater (sewer) bills. 

LIHWA was established by Congress through the appropriation of $638M in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2021 and an additional $500M in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. Federal administration is through the Office of Community Services (OCS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) has been designated as the State of Oregon grantee.

OHCS has been working diligently through a values-based planning process with water and wastewater utilities, utility associations, the community action agency network, and culturally responsive organizations to construct the LIHWA Program for the state. Oregon has received $13.8 million to provide LIHWA assistance to low-income households who have a high water burden. Payments will go directly to the owners and operators of water and wastewater utilities.

Qualify

To qualify:
  • Be under 60% State Median Income, as shown in the chart below.
  • Have a water bill in an adult household member’s name.  **if your water bill is in your landlord or property management company’s name, contact us to discuss, as there are some extra steps in that case.
  • Have Water services provided by one of the following Oregon cities (select County below to see participating cities)
Gilliam County
Arlington
Condon
Morrow County
Boardman
Heppner
Lexington
Umatilla County
Adams
Athena
Echo
Helix
Hermiston
Milton-Freewater
Pendleton
Pilot Rock
Rieth Water District
Stanfield
Ukiah
Umatilla
Weston
Wheeler County
Fossil
Mitchell
LIHWA funding has run out.  This program is not currently available.

Apply

Click the button below and complete the Water/Sewer Assistance Application packet.  Or, contact us for a paper application packet, 541-289-7755.

To complete the application process, once you have completed the application packet, please contact our staff to set up an in-person appointment, 541-289-7755.
Water/Sewer Assistance Application Packet

Community Action Program of East Central Oregon

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  • Home
    • FAQ
    • About
    • News
    • Community Needs Assessment
    • Donate
    • Employment
    • Volunteers
    • Photo Release
    • Projects
    • Disclaimer
    • Request For Proposal
  • Services
    • Independence >
      • Money Management
    • Senior Services/AAA
    • Food & Nutrition >
      • Food
      • Food Pantries
      • Senior Nutrition
      • Governor's State Employees Food Drive
    • Housing >
      • Shelter / Promise Inn
      • Eviction Prevention
      • Rent Well
      • Home 4 Hope
    • Homeownership >
      • Financial Literacy Workshop & Counseling
      • Homebuyer Education & Counseling
      • Post-Purchase Couseling
      • Foreclosure Prevention
    • Utilities >
      • Energy
      • Water
    • Weatherization
    • Youth
    • Emergency >
      • Helping Hand
  • Apply Online
    • Energy Assistance
    • Food Assistance
    • Rent Assistance
  • Locations
  • Translate
    • Español
    • Esperanto
    • Filipino
    • Russian
    • Tiếng Việt
    • Ukrainian
    • 中文
  • Contact