March 22, 2022

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today encouraged New Yorkers with delinquent water and wastewater service bills to apply for up to $5,000 in assistance through the New York State Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).

The program was announced by Governor Kathy Hochul at the end of 2021 and is administered by New York State’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Eligibility is based on income, household size and the delinquency amount. For example, a household of four would need to have a gross monthly income of $5,249 or less to qualify. Visit the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website for applications and additional information.

Over the last several weeks DEP has mailed, emailed and called potentially eligible customers to encourage them to apply for LIWHAP. DEP is committed to working with all of its customers during these challenging times, and in addition to LIHWAP, offers all customers that are struggling to pay their bills the option to enroll in a payment agreement. These flexible plans spread the payments out over time and can include no money down. Customers are encouraged to contact DEP to learn about payment agreements at: customerservice@dep.nyc.gov. In recognition of the extraordinary times, over the last two years DEP also paused sending regular delinquency notices to outstanding account holders while still reminding customers of growing past due amounts on their regular quarterly bills. Finally, DEP does not shut off water service for delinquent accounts.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.8 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing the Air and Noise Codes and asbestos rules. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.