A program for lower-income households is helping pay outstanding water bills for struggling North Carolina residents.
If you’re at risk of getting your water cut off, you may be able to get help taking care of the outstanding bills.
The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program is one of several temporary emergency programs set up after the COVID-19 pandemic left many without jobs or ways to pay their bills. Funding came from the American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration’s economic relief package to address the pandemic. The program pays utilities directly for low-income people that have had their water disconnected, or are at risk of it.
You are eligible if you:
- Have a household income less than 150% of the federal poverty level ( $20,385 for a single person or $41,625 for a family of four).
- Are at risk of having your water disconnected, or have an outstanding bill.
- Are responsible for the water bill.
The program has helped more than 20,000 households since December 2021, but only distributed $7 million of the $38 million in federal funds North Carolina was given, according to a press release from the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
The program will run until September 2023, unless funds are depleted before then.
To apply online for help, go to epass.nc.gov. You can also get a paper application in Spanish and English here or call your county social services department.
Politics
‘Break the silence’: A project that aims to better understand NC’s Black maternal health crisis
Our goal is to examine the deep roots of the Black maternal health crisis in North Carolina, offer important resources, and amplify the personal...
‘It really feels like I belong less’: App State students criticize university’s decisions affecting the LGBTQ community
A series of decisions, including the renaming of Pride Week, the cancellation of a drag event, and the firing of LGBTQ staff led students to protest...
Local News
Does NC have more serial women poisoners than anywhere else? Getting to know NC true crime writer Cathy Pickens
Charlotte's Cathy Pickens is the NC author of the Blue Ridge Mountain Mysteries, a local true crime series. We had some burning questions for her....
NASA astronaut Christina Koch receives highest NC honor
Gov. Cooper honored NASA astronaut and North Carolina native Christina Koch while highlighting the state’s strong public schools. At a recent event,...