Clean Water Current

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is administering the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), has released a survey for water and wastewater utilities to help the Department better understand the scope of water and wastewater debt around the U.S.  

The survey will also help inform administration of remaining LIHWAP funds. The temporary LIHWAP program, created during the pandemic, is due to end after September 30, but NACWA is working to encourage Congress to provide another round of funding (see related story). More information and a link to the survey are available here.  

HHS requests that the survey be completed by April 22, 2023, by a utility administrator with knowledge about their utility’s rates, arrearages, and fees. Completing the survey may require coordination across utility staff. Your utility does not need to be participating in LIHWAP to complete the survey.  

As part of this outreach, HHS also released last week a LIHWAP Toolkit compiling additional information for “grantees” (state implementing agencies) and water service providers. HHS also has more information at waterhelp.info.  

NACWA encourages all utility members and clean water agencies to complete the survey and spread the word among utilities to maximize responses. Any utilities with questions regarding the survey can contact HHS directly at gwendolyn.donley@acf.hhs.gov, and/or reach out to Kristina Surfus on NACWA’s staff at ksurfus@nacwa.org. NACWA is working with HHS to spread the word about the survey, share utility perspectives and discuss the future of LIHWAP.