Low Income Household Water Assistance Program
The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) provides Arizona households with financial relief toward water and wastewater bills. LIHWAP is a temporary emergency assistance program created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, with additional funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Eligible households statewide may receive up to $1800 in water assistance, depending on their need. Assistance includes water service restoration, past-due obligations, and future bills.
To be eligible for LIHWAP, an applicant must meet all the following criteria:
●US citizen or qualified noncitizen
●Resident of Arizona at the time of application
●Household income at or below 60% of the state median income for households 8 or fewer or household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level for households with more than 8 members
●Have not received any other financial assistance for water services during the time for which the applicant is seeking LIHWAP assistance
Applicants whose water services have been disconnected or are pending disconnection are prioritized as follows:
●Households with members over the age of 60
●Households with members under the age of five
●Households with members who have a disability
●Households whose average water bills exceed more than 5% of their monthly income
For additional information about LIHWAP and to apply for the LIHWAP assistance online use the DES portal for the
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program. Interested parties may also apply by phone through the hotline at 1-833-2142 or by downloading a paper application from the DES portal and mailing it to the address on the application.
The following documentation must be provided:
●Applicant’s photo ID
●Income documents
●Water and/or sewer bills
●Disconnection notice (if applicable)
●Lease agreement (if applicable)
LIHWAP payments are not countable as income, a resource, or a vendor payment for any state or federal assistance program.
NOTE The participant’s water expense amount(s) must not be removed or reduced as a result of participating in this program.
Key the OX Unearned Income Code in the INC TYPE field on UNIC. Document the case file with the following: Budgeted LIHWAP assistance payment.