⚠️ This program ended March 31, 2024. The federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) was a COVID-era one-time program. No federal successor exists as of May 2026. [Source: csd.ca.gov/lihwap (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Last verified 2026-05-17
If you need help paying a water bill in 2026
There is no single statewide water-assistance program right now. Try these, in order:
- Your water utility's own assistance program. Most water districts have a low-income rate discount or hardship fund. Call the number on your bill and ask: "Do you have a low-income rate or bill-assistance program?"
- In Nevada County: Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Low Income Rate Assistance Program. Cuts water bills by about 15% for income-qualified households. See Low Income Rate Assistance Program — Nevada Irrigation District.
- Project GO, Inc. still serves Placer, Nevada, Plumas, and Sierra counties with utility help. Call 1-888-524-5705 and ask what water/utility assistance is currently funded. [Source: projectgoinc.org/water.html (accessed 2026-05-17)]
- For energy bills (gas, electric, propane), apply to LIHEAP — that program is still active. See LIHEAP — Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
- If your water is about to be shut off, call 2-1-1 (free, 24/7). They can connect you with emergency funds from local nonprofits and churches.
What LIHWAP did, while it existed (historical)
LIHWAP was created by Congress in December 2020 as a one-time COVID-relief program. It paid past-due residential water and wastewater bills for low-income households. In California it was administered by the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD), and in Nevada/Placer/Plumas/Sierra counties by Project GO, Inc.
The program sunset on March 31, 2024. A small "supplemental benefit" was distributed in May 2024 to households who had already received LIHWAP — that was the last round. [Source: csd.ca.gov/lihwap (accessed 2026-05-17)]
A bill to create a permanent national water-assistance program (the LIHWAP Establishment Act, Sen. Padilla) has been introduced in Congress but has not passed as of May 2026. [Source: padilla.senate.gov (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Original program details (for reference)
Eligibility was: income-qualified, OR a current recipient of CalWORKs, CalFresh, or LIHEAP. The bill had to be past due, and the water/wastewater system had to be enrolled. Priority went to households with the highest utility costs relative to income and to vulnerable populations (elderly, disabled, families with small children). Applicants had to live in Placer, Nevada, Plumas, or Sierra County to qualify through Project GO, Inc.
Freshness update (2026-05-30): Re-verified. The federal LIHWAP is still ended (sunset March 31, 2024) with no enacted successor. The push for a permanent program continues: a bipartisan House version of the LIHWAP Establishment Act was reintroduced in July 2025 (Reps. Sorensen, Bresnahan, Schrier, Lawler, Kelly, Fitzpatrick, Davids), with Sen. Padilla sponsoring the Senate companion — but it has NOT passed into law. Heads up: Project GO's water page (projectgoinc.org/water.html) still reads "Applications are currently being accepted" and mentions LIHWAP — that page text appears out of date relative to the federal sunset, so call 1-888-524-5705 (press 3) and ask exactly what water/utility funding is available right now before counting on it. The Project GO main phone line is current.