Press Release

PUC Thanks Shapiro Administration for Seeking Additional Funds for Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program

Published on 3/16/2023

Filed under: Water and Wastewater

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today thanked Gov. Shapiro and his Administration for requesting additional funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for additional funding to be awarded this May for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). 

“I applaud Gov. Shapiro’s Administration for this leadership effort. I also continue to emphasize my support for Pennsylvania’s receipt of reallocated federal LIHWAP funding to benefit our low-income water and wastewater customers,” Commissioner Ralph V. Yanora said at the Commission’s Public Meeting today.

 “Commissioner Yanora and I want to express our excitement about the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’s announcement yesterday that Pennsylvania intends to operate a second round of Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program funding,” said Commissioner Kathryn L. Zerfuss. “The Commonwealth is in an excellent position to potentially receive millions of additional dollars in federal funding. We continue to support Pennsylvania’s receipt of these additional funds to assist the thousands of low-income Pennsylvanians who may need help paying their water and wastewater bills.  We want to thank Gov. Shapiro and his Administration for their leadership in these efforts.”

LIHWAP is an emergency program to assist low-income households with their overdue water and wastewater bills. In Pennsylvania, LIHWAP is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). The PUC has worked closely with DHS to administer LIHWAP for the benefit of water and wastewater utility customers.

Pennsylvania successfully distributed its allotted LIHWAP grant funds by October 2022. However, there likely will be significant funds, left unused by other states when the federal LIHWAP program expires on Sept. 30, 2023, which the U.S. HHS will reallot to another state that can distribute the funds after indicating (by March 2023) a need for additional funding to meet the demand for benefits assistance.  

As early as Dec. 19, 2021, and as part of its #CallUtilitiesNow campaign, the PUC reminded Pennsylvania consumers that assistance soon would be available for income-eligible families to help keep their water and wastewater service turned on through LIHWAP.

About the PUC

The PUC balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov