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Up to $2,000 In Water Bill Assistance Now Available to Qualified SWA Customers

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Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority (Authority) customers may be eligible for water or wastewater bill assistance from a new federal debt relief program. The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) provides a one-time payment of up to $2,000 to qualified customers.

The program is administered locally by Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County (MAAC). After the customer applies to the program, MAAC will work directly with the Authority to apply funding to the qualified accounts.

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San Diego May Spend $5M Per Year Boosting Low-Income Areas Affected by Climate Change

/in , /by /The San Diego Union Tribuneby David Garrick

A new proposal would require San Diego to spend nearly $5 million a year boosting low-income and ethnically diverse city neighborhoods most affected by climate change. Called a “climate equity fund,” the money would be spent building parks, planting trees, increasing exercise opportunities, making areas more walkable and enhancing public transit.

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Low Income Communities Drowning In Water Debt, New California Water Board Survey Finds

/in , , /by /Valley Public Radio (Central Valley)by Madi Bolanos

Low income communities across the San Joaquin Valley and other regions of the state are being hit hard by rising water and utility debt according to a recent survey released by the California Water Board.

Michael Claiborne, an attorney with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, says residents are having to decide which essential service to pay for amid a global pandemic.

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Southwest US Communities and Hispanics Most Likely to Have Arsenic-Laden Water

/in , /by /Environmental Health Newsby Hannah Seo

A new survey shows arsenic levels in public water are disproportionately high in certain U.S. communities, despite national regulatory standards designed to protect people from the harmful chemical. Researchers studied approximately 13 million records from 2006 to 2011 covering 139,000 public water systems in 46 states, Washington D.C., and Native American tribes.

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People of Color More Likely to Live Without Piped Water in Richest US Cities

/in , /by /The Guardianby Nina Lakhani

People of color in some of America’s wealthiest cities are significantly more likely to live in houses without indoor plumbing essential for running water, new research reveals.

Clean, safe, affordable water is essential for human health and economic survival. Yet access to running water is not universal in the United States, ostensibly the richest country in the world.

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Nearly 35 Million Households Will Lose Their Utility Shutoff Protections Over the Next Month

/in , , /by /CNBCby Megan Leonhardt

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans have relied on emergency orders put in place by state and local governments that bar utility companies from shutting off services such as gas, electricity and water. However, many of these orders will expire by the end of September, leaving 34.5 million households without shutoff protections, according to a new report from energy efficiency startup Carbon Switch.

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