By Patricia Jones, Alliance Community Task Force: Creating Opportunity
Access to safe and affordable drinking water and wastewater services is a fundamental element of health, safety, and well-being for households in Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) offers a Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, called LIHWAP. This information is from their website.
The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) helps low-income households with water utility services costs, including deposits, reconnect fees, standard charges, standard fees, and taxes included in the household's water utility services bill. The program is designed to cover both drinking water and wastewater.
DHHS provides two different types of water assistance, rate reduction or priority assistance. Eligible households may receive one payment from LIHWAP from October through September unless extenuating circumstances exist.
Rate Reduction Assistance: A one-time payment is made to a water utility provider. The payment amount, from $50 up to $500, is based on a calculation that accounts for the household's income and costs for water utility services. These payments may result in a credit balance and do not require the household to have a past-due balance.
Priority Assistance: A one-time payment of up to $2,500 issued to a water utility provider to restore water utility services or eliminate a past-due balance for water utility services for an eligible household. A priority payment cannot result in a credit balance.
The City of Alliance includes all utilities—water, electric, sewer, and refuse—in one bill. A DHHS payment is made once a year and is applied to the total amount owed. It may result in a credit that carries over to the next month's bill.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) received federal funds as a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act to administer LIHWAP. LIHWAP in Nebraska is 100% federally funded.
To qualify for LIHWAP, a household must be responsible for water utility payments and must meet the citizenship and residency requirements of DHHS. The household must include an individual that has an active Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) case, or their gross countable household income must be equal to or less than 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL). For a household of four, the income amount is $41,625.00. The income chart is on the website.
To receive assistance from DHHS, your household must submit an agency-approved application. If your household has an active or pending Economic Assistance (EA) case, you may request LIHWAP without submitting a new application.
You can request assistance or apply online at dhhs.ne.gov. You can phone 800-383-4278. The Box Butte County DHHS office is at 411 Black Hills Avenue in Alliance. Their office hours are 8-5, Monday through Friday, and the phone number is 308-763-2900.