The funds for the Federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) allocated to Nebraska are expected to be fully expended based on the level of applications and requests received for assistance. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will determine eligibility for requests based on the order they were submitted and until the federal funds are fully expended.
If Nebraska households are still in need of assistance with a water utility disconnect notice and the household includes individuals aged 18 years or younger may be eligible for assistance through the Emergency Assistance (EA) Program. Applications can be submitted:
- On-line at https://iserve.nebraska.gov/;
- In-person at a DHHS Office https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Public-Assistance-Offices.aspx; or,
- By calling ACCESSNebraska at the number below:
- Lincoln: (402) 323-3900.
- Omaha: (402) 595-1258; or,
- All other Nebraska communities: Toll-free: (800) 383-4278
Households that do not include an individual 18 years or younger or do not otherwise qualify for EA can call the 211 Helpline run by the United Way to connect to potential community resources.
The LIHWAP program is a one-time federally funded relief program created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the objective of helping low-income households with water utility services (drinking water or wastewater) costs, including deposits, reconnect fees, standard charges, standard fees, and taxes included in the household’s water utility services bill. Program funding came from a combination of funds from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act.
Nebraska received a total of $5,988,839 to enable the LIHWAP program.