Millions of low-income Americans struggle to pay water and sewer bills, and falling behind can mean losing access to safe running water at home. The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program — known as LIHWAP — provides federal grants to states and tribes to help qualifying households keep their water utility services on. The Water Access Act appropriates $500 million for that program in fiscal year 2027, giving states the resources to expand or continue water bill assistance for families who qualify based on income. People who receive benefits through other assistance programs like SNAP or LIHEAP are among those typically served by LIHWAP.
Average Household Impact
- Low-income water assistance funding — $500M appropriated for FY2027 to help households pay water and sewer utility bills
Congressional Summary
Water Access ActThis bill provides $500 million in FY2027 appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program. The program provides grants to assist low-income households with water and wastewater bills.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-06-15
- Date Added
- 2026-06-30
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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