Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)

Program Description

The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is a temporary federally funded program that provides funds to assist low-income households with water and wastewater bills. South Carolina’s LIHWAP ended March 31, 2024.

General Program Requirements

• The applicant must be a South Carolina resident living at the service address.
• The bill must be in a household member’s name.
• Eligible household members must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible immigrant.
• A household’s total gross income cannot exceed 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG).
• Other documents may be requested to determine eligibility.

How Do I Apply?

Contact your local Community Action Agency by selecting the county in which you live.

Select your county: Abbeville Aiken Allendale Anderson Bamberg Barnwell Beaufort Berkeley Calhoun Charleston Cherokee Chester Chesterfield Clarendon Colleton Darlington Dillon Dorchester Edgefield Fairfield Florence Georgetown Greenville Greenwood Hampton Horry Jasper Kershaw Lancaster Laurens Lee Lexington Marion Marlboro McCormick Newberry Oconee Orangeburg Pickens Richland Saluda Spartanburg Sumter Union Williamsburg York

Program Goals and Priorities

• Provide an overall emergency effort to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the public health focus of ensuring that low-income households have access to safe and clean drinking water and wastewater services.
• Assist eligible households in meeting the cost of water and wastewater burdens.

Funding Distribution

South Carolina’s LIHWAP funds will be distributed to eligible Community Action Agencies (CAAs) statewide. CAAs will accept customer applications in each of South Carolina’s 46 counties, determine customer eligibility, and process payments to public water and wastewater service providers.

The LIHWAP supplemental funding will be available for expenditure through September 30, 2023.

Appeals Process

If you feel you were treated unfairly, denied service(s), your application was not processed in a timely manner, or are disputing the amount of your benefit, please notify the community action agency in your county of residence to appeal and request a fair hearing. Your application will be properly reviewed to determine eligibility based on the required documents provided.

If your appeal is further denied by the Community Action Agency, a written appeal may be submitted to E-mail oeo@admin.sc.gov or mailed to:
Office of Economic Opportunity
Attention: Legal Counsel
1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 355
Columbia, South Carolina 29201