Kentucky will receive over $18 million in federal aid to help households that have fallen behind on paying their water bills and face disconnection of service or have already been disconnected.
The funding, which totals $18,684,749, will come from the federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, also known as LIHWAP, and Kentuckians can now apply for aid.
The funding will allow benefit payments to be made directly to water vendors, for covering delinquent water bills, past-due charges, fees and taxes, for both drinking and wastewater services.
LIHWAP is a federal program funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. LIHWAP is a temporary emergency water/wastewater program intended to help low-income households and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program will be administered through Kentucky’s Community Action Agencies that serve all 120 counties. In Crittenden, Caldwell, Livingston and Lyon counties, the program will be administered by Pennyrile Allied Community Services. Here are phone numbers for those offices: Crittenden County 270-965-4763, Caldwell County 270-365-5097, Livingston County 270-928-2827 and Lyon County 270-388-7812.
