If you’re looking for water assistance programs in New York, the federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is no longer available, and no statewide replacement has taken its place. What’s still active is a cluster of New York City programs run by the Department of Environmental Protection: an automatic $145 credit for qualifying homeowners, a per-unit credit for affordable housing buildings, a debt-deferral option for owners facing a lien sale, leak forgiveness for inflated bills, and payment plans with shutoff protections for vulnerable households. Outside the city, help depends almost entirely on your local water provider.
The $145 Home Water Assistance Credit
The Home Water Assistance Program is the simplest form of relief available right now. Qualifying homeowners in the five boroughs get a $145 annual credit applied directly to their DEP water and sewer account. There is no application. If you’re eligible, the credit shows up on your next bill labeled “NYC Home Water Assistance Credit.”1NYC Environmental Protection. Home Water Assistance Program
Your property has to be a one- to four-family home, and you need to meet at least one of these:
- You received a HEAP Regular Heating Benefit for the 2024–2025 heating season.
- You had an approved Senior Citizens Homeowners Exemption from the NYC Department of Finance as of March 2025.
- You had an approved Disabled Homeowners Exemption from DOF as of March 2025.
- You had an approved Veteran’s Exemption for 2025.
DEP works with the NYC Human Resources Administration and the Department of Finance to identify over 50,000 qualifying homeowners automatically. The $145 is non-refundable, so it offsets your bill but cannot be paid out in cash.2NYC311. Home Water Assistance Program
Help For Tenants In Affordable Buildings
Renters in regulated affordable housing don’t pay DEP directly, but their buildings do, and water costs feed into rent and maintenance. The Multi-Family Water Assistance Program gives qualifying buildings a $250 credit per residential unit, covering up to 65,000 affordable apartments on a first-come, first-served basis.3NYC Environmental Protection. Multi-Family Water Assistance Program
Building owners apply, not tenants. A building has to meet three conditions: average rents affordable to households at or below 60 percent of Area Median Income with a recorded HPD or HDC regulatory agreement locking in affordability for at least another 15 years; efficient water use, shown either through DEP’s Multifamily Conservation Program or through a metered water rate; and either a current account or an active payment plan with the city. If you think your building might qualify, raise it with your property manager or management company.3NYC Environmental Protection. Multi-Family Water Assistance Program
If You’re Facing A Lien Sale Or Shutoff
The Water Debt Assistance Program is for homeowners who have fallen seriously behind. It doesn’t erase the debt. It defers it. If you qualify, DEP pulls your property from the upcoming lien sale and holds the balance in abeyance until you sell, refinance, or can pay. Interest keeps accruing.4NYC Environmental Protection. Water Debt Assistance Program
You need all of the following:
- A Tax Class One, owner-occupied property (which includes single-family homes).
- A formal DEP notice: a Pre-Lien Sale Warning Notice, a 90-Day Lien-Sale Notice, a Service Termination Warning Notice, or a similar notification.
- No current enrollment in the program.
- A passing score on a means test that looks at your full financial picture.
Acceptance means signing a binding agreement that acknowledges the debt as valid and commits you to pay it in full when the property is sold, transferred, or refinanced. You also have to stay current on future water and sewer charges. Miss either obligation and your property goes back in line for a lien sale or shutoff.4NYC Environmental Protection. Water Debt Assistance Program
When A High Bill Is Caused By A Leak
A running toilet or a broken pipe can double or triple a water bill. DEP’s Leak Forgiveness Program cuts the inflated portion of the bill in half, though your final amount owed won’t drop below 150 percent of your property’s typical bill. Any kind of leak qualifies, including maintainable fixtures like toilets, sinks, and showers.5NYC Environmental Protection. Leak Forgiveness Program
The bill in question has to be at least double your normal amount. You have 120 days from the bill date to fix the leak and 120 days from the same bill date to submit a written forgiveness request, either by mail to the BCS Correspondence office in Flushing or through the My DEP Account portal. If a licensed plumber confirms the leak couldn’t reasonably have been discovered in 120 days, you can get another 180 days. The program is available once every two years per property.5NYC Environmental Protection. Leak Forgiveness Program
Payment Plans And Shutoff Protection
If you owe overdue water charges and don’t fit any of the programs above, DEP will set up a payment agreement. The standard terms require a 25 percent down payment on your outstanding balance, with the rest paid over time. Only the property owner, or someone with power of attorney, can enter the agreement.6NYC Environmental Protection. Overdue Water and Sewer Charges
You may be able to stop a pending water termination if anyone in your home has:
- A significant medical condition.
- Age 62 or older.
- A disability.
- Children under 6 living in the household.
To claim the exemption, call DEP’s Collections Unit at 718-595-7890, or email supporting documentation to watershutoff@dep.nyc.gov with the subject line “Shut Off Notice.” Approval can also qualify you for a payment agreement with a lower down payment than the standard 25 percent.6NYC Environmental Protection. Overdue Water and Sewer Charges
Options Outside New York City
Upstate and on Long Island, water service is handled by local municipal authorities or private water companies, and assistance varies by provider. There is no statewide program replacing LIHWAP. Call your water provider directly and ask about hardship programs, payment arrangements, or shutoff deferrals. Your county department of social services may also know of local emergency assistance funds.
If you’re enrolled in HEAP, SNAP, or SSI, say so when you call. Those benefits don’t automatically reduce water bills the way they did under LIHWAP, but some local utilities use similar income criteria for their own hardship offerings.
What’s Happening At The Federal Level
LIHWAP was created under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 as a temporary pilot and has since run out of money. The Administration for Children and Families has confirmed that households cannot receive LIHWAP benefits at this time.7Administration for Children and Families. Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act (H.R. 4733) was introduced in the House in July 2025 and referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment in December 2025. It would authorize $500 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.8Congress.gov. H.R. 4733 – Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act The bill has not moved beyond subcommittee and may not become law. Work with the city and local options available now rather than waiting on a federal replacement.