English
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has partnered with Dollar Energy Fund to administer a Hardship Program to assist customers having difficulty paying their water bill. The PWSA Hardship Program provides assistance grants that are applied directly to a limited-income household’s utility bill. Eligible applicants can receive a grant once every 12 months. Program guidelines and eligibility requirements are subject to change.
Open from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, eligible applicants regardless of service status.
Grants are dispersed on a first come, first serve basis to eligible applicants while funding is available.
Applicants must have an outstanding balance on their utility bill of at least $1.
The maximum grant amount an applicant may receive is $450. Customers can receive up to $450 each towards water and wastewater charges.
Applicants can only receive a grant once every 12 months.
Grant awards are based on need and each family’s circumstances are different. Grant amounts are determined on a case-to-case basis.
If a customer’s utility service is off or in threat of termination when they apply and the maximum grant amount will not restore service or stop termination, the application will be denied. The amount needed to restore service or stop a termination is determined by utility review. Notification will be sent to the customer advising them that their application was denied and that an additional payment is required in order to be considered for assistance.
Account must be residential, single home or apartment. No commercial, industrial, or apartments with shared utility service.
Name on account must be that of an adult who is currently living in the home.
Dollar Energy Fund grants cannot be used to cover security deposits or reconnection fees.
Total gross household income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Use our Income Calculator, or the chart below, to find out if your gross (before tax) income is within the range of eligibility for the program.
| Household Size | 200% Monthly | 200% Yearly |
| 1 | $2,510 | $30,120 |
| 2 | $3,407 | $40,880 |
| 3 | $4,303 | $51,640 |
| 4 | $5,200 | $62,400 |
| 5 | $6,097 | $73,160 |
| 6 | $6,993 | $83,920 |
| 7 | $7,890 | $94,680 |
| 8 | $8,787 | $105,440 |
| Each add’l add | $897 | $10,760 |
A copy of your most recent PWSA bill with proof of minimum payment must be attached to all applications.
Total gross monthly income for all members living in the household.
Grant funds for Clairton Municipal Authority have been exhausted and the program is now closed.
The Clairton Municipal Authority Hardship Program, which is funded by the Clairton Municipal Authority and the City of Clairton, and administered by Dollar Energy Fund, assists eligible Clairton Municipal Authority customers who are in threat of termination or who have had their water service disconnected as a result of non-payment of their sewage bills. Customers may be eligible to receive a grant that’s applied directly to their utility bill. Our program is a fund of last resort because it goes above and beyond what is available through federal, state and other programs. Program guidelines and eligibility requirements are subject to change.
Open from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, for service that is off or in threat of termination.
Grants are dispersed on a first come, first serve basis to eligible applicants while funding is available.
Applicants must have paid at least $100 on their account in the past three months.
Exceptions may be made in cases of extreme hardships.
Applicants must have an outstanding balance on their utility bill of at least $100.
The maximum grant amount an applicant may receive is $200.
Applicants can only receive one grant every 12 months.
Grant awards are based on need and each family’s circumstances are different. Grant amounts are determined on a case-to-case basis.
If a customer’s utility service is off or in threat of termination when they apply and the maximum grant amount will not restore service or stop termination, the application will be denied. The amount needed to restore service or stop a termination is determined by utility review. Notification will be sent to the customer advising them that their application was denied and that an additional payment is required in order to be considered for assistance.
Account must be residential, single home or apartment. No “cooking only,” commercial, industrial, or apartments with shared utility service. The household is not eligible if it has a shared meter.
Name on account must be that of an adult who is currently living in the household.
Dollar Energy Fund grants cannot be used to cover security deposits or reconnection fees.
Total gross household income must be at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Use our Income Calculator, or the chart below, to find out if your gross (before tax) income is within the range of eligibility for the program.
| Household Size | 150% Monthly | 150% Yearly |
| 1 | $1,883 | $22,590 |
| 2 | $2,555 | $30,660 |
| 3 | $3,228 | $38,730 |
| 4 | $3,900 | $46,800 |
| 5 | $4,573 | $54,870 |
| 6 | $5,245 | $62,940 |
| 7 | $5,918 | $71,010 |
| 8 | $6,590 | $79,080 |
| Each add’l add | $673 | $8,070 |
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority has created the Clean Water Assistance Fund to help families pay their sewage treatment bills. This program serves low-income homeowners in the 83 municipalities that ALCOSAN serves. It is administered by Dollar Energy Fund.
Under the program, a credit of $45 will be applied every three months to the account of an eligible customer. The credit will appear automatically every three months, even if the customer is billed monthly, bimonthly or quarterly.
Credits will be applied to a customer’s account by the agencies that bill for sewage treatment services – for example, these bills may come from Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority, Jordan Tax Service, Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority, your municipality or some other agency.
You must be a sewage treatment customer of one of the 83 municipalities that are served by ALCOSAN.
Customers must have a gross (before tax) income that is between 0 percent and 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Use our Income Calculator, or the chart below, to find out if your gross (before tax) income is within the range of eligibility for the program.
| Household Size | 150% Monthly | 150% Yearly |
| 1 | $1,883 | $22,590 |
| 2 | $2,555 | $30,660 |
| 3 | $3,228 | $38,730 |
| 4 | $3,900 | $46,800 |
| 5 | $4,573 | $54,870 |
| 6 | $5,245 | $62,940 |
| 7 | $5,918 | $71,010 |
| 8 | $6,590 | $79,080 |
| Each add’l add | $673 | $8,070 |
Through a partnership with Pennsylvania American Water, our Water Assistance Program consists of two parts:
You must be a customer of Pennsylvania American Water.
All applicants must provide verification of income.
Customers who are eligible for the Discount Program will have gross (before tax) income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Use our Income Calculator, or the chart below, to find out if your gross (before tax) income is within the range of eligibility for the program.
Household income should be calculated using the before tax amount for all household members, excluding minors.
| Household Size | 200% Monthly | 200% Yearly |
| 1 | $2,510 | $30,120 |
| 2 | $3,407 | $40,880 |
| 3 | $4,303 | $51,640 |
| 4 | $5,200 | $62,400 |
| 5 | $6,097 | $73,160 |
| 6 | $6,993 | $83,920 |
| 7 | $7,890 | $94,680 |
| 8 | $8,787 | $105,440 |
| Each add’l add | $897 | $10,760 |
The Illinois American Water Income-Based Discount Program is a program designed to provide utility assistance for residential water and/or wastewater customers. Program guidelines and eligibility requirements are subject to change.
Applicant must be a residential customer of Illinois American Water.
Total gross household income must be at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Use our Income Calculator, or the chart below, to find out if your gross (before tax) income is within the range of eligibility for the program.
| Household Size | 150% Monthly | 150% Yearly |
| 1 | $1,883 | $22,590 |
| 2 | $2,555 | $30,660 |
| 3 | $3,228 | $38,730 |
| 4 | $3,900 | $46,800 |
| 5 | $4,573 | $54,870 |
| 6 | $5,245 | $62,940 |
| 7 | $5,918 | $71,010 |
| 8 | $6,590 | $79,080 |
| Each add’l add | $673 | $8,070 |
Once enrolled, customers will be required to recertify their household member and income information on an annual basis to remain enrolled in the program.
Applicants are required to provide proof of income.
Eligible applicants receive a 70% discount on their monthly volumetric usage.
The Cal Water Cares Hardship Program, which is administered by Dollar Energy Fund, assists eligible utility customers with their California Water Service Company bills. Customers may be eligible to receive a one-time grant that is applied directly to their utility bill. Program guidelines and eligibility requirements are subject to change.
Open from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, for services that are off or in threat of termination.
Grants are dispersed on a first come, first serve basis to eligible applicants while funding is available.
Applicants must have paid at least $75 on their Cal Water account in the three months prior to applying for a grant.
Senior Citizens, age 62 and over, must have paid $50 on their accounts in the three months prior to applying for a grant.
Pledges made on an applicant’s behalf and other grants cannot be counted toward the sincere effort of payment. Exceptions may be made in cases of extreme hardships.
Applicants must have an outstanding balance on their Cal Water bill of at least $100.
The maximum grant amount an applicant may receive is $200.
Applicants can only receive one grant per utility, per program year. (10/1/2024 – 9/30/2025)
Grant awards are based on need and each family’s circumstances are different. Grant amounts are determined on a case-to-case basis.
If a customer’s utility service is off or in threat of termination when they apply and the maximum grant amount will not restore service or stop termination, the application will be denied. The amount needed to restore service or stop a termination is determined by utility review. Notification will be sent to the customer advising them that their application was denied and that an additional payment is required in order to be considered for assistance.
All applicants must provide verification of income.
Income-eligible clients must apply for all federally-funded programs when those programs are open.
Account must be residential, single home or apartment. No “cooking only,” commercial, industrial, or apartments with shared utility service.
Name on account must be that of an adult who is currently living in the home.
Dollar Energy Fund grants cannot be used to cover security deposits or reconnection fees.
Total gross household income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Use our Income Calculator, or the chart below, to find out if your gross (before tax) income is within the range of eligibility for the program.
| Household Size | 200% Monthly | 200% Yearly |
| 1 | $2,510 | $30,120 |
| 2 | $3,407 | $40,880 |
| 3 | $4,303 | $51,640 |
| 4 | $5,200 | $62,400 |
| 5 | $6,097 | $73,160 |
| 6 | $6,993 | $83,920 |
| 7 | $7,890 | $94,680 |
| 8 | $8,787 | $105,440 |
| Each add’l add | $897 | $10,760 |