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Low-income-household water bills-federal assistance

Money Still Available for Low-Income Water Customers in San Diego County

Millions of dollars in federal aid are still available for low-income water customers in San Diego County to cover overdue residential water and wastewater bills. The San Diego County Water Authority helped secure the federal funds — and the deadline for applications has been extended to March 31, 2024.

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), established by Congress in 2021, offers one-time payments to cover outstanding residential water and/or wastewater bills. The federal government allocated $116 million to California to help households struggling to pay their water bills. Statewide, $40 million remains for the program, with nearly $5 million remaining for San Diego County.

“Water affordability is one of the top priorities for the Water Authority, and we are committed to helping ensure that everyone in San Diego County has access to safe and reliable water,” said Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham. “In addition to the current funds, the Water Authority is supporting efforts to develop federal legislation to make the low-income assistance program permanent.”

Financial aid for water customers

As part of its commitment to water affordability, the Water Authority partnered with the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County (MAAC) and Campesinos Unidos, Inc. to provide outreach and education so residents who are struggling economically are aware of the federal financial aid for water customers.

To find out if they are eligible and to participate in LIHWAP, customers must apply directly to MAAC or Campesinos, the local service providers selected by the state to implement the program in the San Diego region. LIHWAP will pay water-wastewater bills of up to $2,000. Qualified low-income households, including renters whose utility payments are included in their rent, are eligible for funds. Residents can determine their local service provider at www.csd.ca.gov/Pages/FindServicesInYourArea.aspx, by entering their city and locating their “water utility assistance provider.”

MAAC is a nonprofit that serves 75,000 individuals every year and partners with individuals and families to address their immediate needs and provide them with the tools and resources to achieve economic mobility. More information is at https://maacproject.org/lihwap/.

Campesinos was incorporated as a private non-profit corporation to specifically promote greater social, economic, educational, and employment training opportunities for farm workers and other economically disadvantaged residents of the Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties. More information is at https://campesinosunidos.org/water-program/.

A New SoCal Underground Water Storage Project Aims to Keep Supplies Flowing During Drought

A solution to help bolster Southern California’s water outlook during future droughts is taking shape in the Mojave Desert. Water transported in canals and pipelines has begun flowing into a series of basins carved into the desert, filling a large underground reservoir that will be available to draw upon in dry times.

California Water Service Group Announces Election of Jeffrey Kightlinger to Board of Directors

California Water Service Group (Group) (NYSE: CWT) today announced the election of Jeffrey Kightlinger, 63, to the Group’s Board of Directors, effective Nov. 1, 2023.

U.N. Report Warns of Catastrophic Climate Tipping Points. California is Nearing Several

Humanity is on course to transgress multiple global “tipping points” that could lead to irreversible instability or the complete collapse of ecological and institutional systems, a United Nations report warned Wednesday.

The third annual Interconnected Disaster Risks report from the U.N. University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security in Bonn, Germany, found that drastic changes will occur if urgent actions are not taken around six moments when sociological systems are no longer able to buffer risks.

Redding City Council Opposes New State Water Regulations, Argues for Local Resource Consideration

On Tuesday night, the Redding City Council unanimously voted to sign a letter of opposition regarding water regulations that have been approved for the state of California.

City council voted to take a stand against “Making Conservation A Way Of Life” a strategy approved by the State Water Board in early 2023 and now officially in effect.

 

Will El Niño’s Return Mean Rain and Snow for California’s 2023 Winter?

Climate scientists and weather forecasters suspect this winter could be as wet or wetter than last year’s torrential downpours. But just how wet will this winter become?

The answer isn’t quite as simple as forecasters pumping various inputs into computer models that then spit out what we can definitively expect.

How California Reservoir Water Levels Will Change, According to Predictions

Many of California’s reservoirs are far above their average capacity, but water levels are expected to change as the winter season progresses.

The U.S. Southwest has suffered from years of drought, and until recently, the most severe impacts have been centered around Lake Mead and Lake Powell and much of California. Last year, none of California was free from drought, and more than 16 percent of the state suffered from exceptional drought, which is the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) most extreme classification.

Expect to See Solar Panels Along San Diego Highways Per One of the Energy Bills Newsom Has Signed Into Law

Within a couple of years, drivers in San Diego County can expect to see solar panels along the highway.

That’s the plan for Senate Bill 49, one of a number of energy-related legislation Sacramento lawmakers passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law.

Boiling Point: Gavin Newsom Signed a Bunch of Climate Laws — and Vetoed Others

California continues to make waves on climate. In some cases literally.

Over the weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed dozens of bills dealing with renewable energy, landscape conservation and water use — and vetoed many others.

Which Big California Bills Did Newsom Veto?

Up against an Oct. 14 deadline and with more than 700 bills on his desk heading into the weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom decided the fate of bills —  a lot of bills.

The governor’s office put out a big batch of nearly 150 actions on Saturday, a second one on Sunday of about 130 and a third one late Sunday night of about 190 more. That unusual volume for a weekend means he still has some 260 bills to go.