May 2022 Update:

California Department of Community Services and Development will now offer a Low Income Household Water Assistance Program for state residents. 

What to know:

• LIHWAP will offer a one-time payment to help you pay your past due water or wastewater bills.
• LIHWAP will help pay overdue bills which accrued during any timeframe (i.e., there is no date restriction on the bill relief period).
• The new federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) will provide financial assistance to low-income Californians to help manage their residential water utility costs. Established by Congress in December 2020, this federally funded program will help low-income households pay down their outstanding water bills. California has been allocated $116 million in one-time funding to provide LIHWAP assistance.
• The Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) has been designated the administering agency for LIHWAP in California. CSD, in consultation with stakeholders, is in the process of defining the scope of the LIHWAP program and service delivery through the development of a LIHWAP State Plan. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services, has provided guidance that LIHWAP should be modeled on existing processes, procedures, policies, and systems in place to provide assistance, such as the CSD administered Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. 
• Sign up to receive LIHWAP updates and meeting notices here. 

Link to LIHWAP website