Eligible Kentuckians can apply for more than $18 million from the federal Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) according to an emergency regulation filed Wednesday by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The program will help households with unpaid water bills and either face disconnection of service or have already been disconnected.
LIHWAP is a federal program funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Place Act (ARPA) and is designed as a temporary emergency water/wastewater program for low-income households during the pandemic.
The funding will allow benefit payments to be made directly to water vendors to cover delinquent water bills, past-due charges, fees, and taxes for drinking and wastewater services. Households can apply through their local Community Action Council or click here for more information.
Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander said residents who qualify for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) might also qualify for LIHWAP. “You can simply apply for LIHEAP and LIHWAP at the same time – all within one application – and provide your most recent bill,” Friedlander explained.
The Cabinet filed both an emergency order and an ordinary administrative regulation with the Legislative Research Commission (LRC) on Wednesday morning. The emergency version went into effect immediately.
