Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, residents who need assistance with their water bills for the summer must apply to the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program in three days. Water bill customers must have received a notice that their water service would be shut off within the next 60 days to apply.

Philadelphia Water Department customers were open to apply on July 10, and applications will close on Aug. 11. The temporary program, created by the American Rescue Plan Act, offers residents up to $2,500 toward past-due water bills and up to $2,500 for wastewater bills.

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Interested applicants must be experiencing a crisis situation with their water service. To be eligible, Pennsylvania residents must own or rent their homes and meet a required household income limit. When applying, Pennsylvanians need to submit the names, birth dates, and proof of income of all household members and submit a recent water bill.

To be eligible, residents must meet an income limit. The maximum annual income for a household of one is $20,385, and it's $41,625 for a household of four. Households of 10 must not exceed an annual income of $84,105. For every additional person, the program adds $7,080. 

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“Every Pennsylvanian has a right to clean drinking water that keeps our homes safe and our families healthy,” Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie Arkoosh said in a press statement. “I encourage all Pennsylvanians who are at risk of losing drinking water or wastewater services and have not received LIHWAP previously to apply as soon as possible when the program opens.” 

LIHWAP opened in 2022 and helped 44,319 Pennsylvania households with their water and wastewater bills. More information on how to receive assistance for unpaid bills can be found on the Philadelphia Water Department website or by calling 877-395-893 to request an application.