WSSC Water Financial Assistance Programs

Supporting our neighbors when they need help the most

WSSC Water is committed to providing financial assistance to customers to make your water and sewer bills more affordable. We’ve enhanced our programs and pay plans to provide financial assistance to even more customers. Eligible residential and commercial customers may request a pay plan.

As of August 9, 2022, Prince George's County is no longer accepting applications for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).

Below are links to county, state and local resources offering financial assistance: 

Montgomery County Financial Assistance

• Montgomery County COVID-19 Rent Relief Program: Provides short-term rental and utility assistance (includes WSSC Water bills) to eligible households who have experienced a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused them to fall behind on their rent and utilities. The program is managed by the County's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). While funds are available, the program may provide up to $12,000/up to 18 months (including previous Round 3 assistance) to eligible households to pay for back rent owed. Households without internet access or who are in need of other accommodations to complete the application, may call Montgomery County 311 (240‐777‐0311) to request that a County representative or partner call you to help you apply.
• Montgomery County Emergency Financial and Utility Assistance Resource Listing
• Customers residing in certain cities, who are in need of financial assistance for housing/eviction prevention, utilities and prescription drugs, see the contact information below:

Prince George's County Financial Assistance

• Prince George's County Homeownership Preservation Program: launched in late 2021 and is available to provide up to $30,000 to homeowners for health, safety, energy efficiency, and accessibility repairs in qualified, owner-occupied homes. Households under 50% of the area median income (AMI) can receive up to $50,000 in services. There are income, location, and eligibility requirements. The Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Maryland to implement this program in the County’s qualified census tract areas with special emphasis on homes within one mile of a future Purple Line transit stop.

         Prince George’s County Homeownership Preservation Program (PG HOPP)

• Prince George’s County Resource Listing

Customers residing in certain cities, who are in need of financial assistance for housing/eviction prevention, utilities and prescription drugs, see the contact information below:

State Resources for Financial Assistance

Attention WSSC Water customers behind on their water/sewer bills. You might qualify for the state’s recently launched Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, or LIHWAP. Applicants must have their name of the bill and live at the address on the bill. Renters are also eligible.

Find out if you qualify at www.dhs.maryland.gov/OHEP. Funds are limited, so apply today.

You can also apply in person:

The Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund provides homeowners with financial assistance for mortgage payments or other housing costs including water and sewer bills due to COVID-19 impacts. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development will administer this program. More information is available at https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Residents/Pages/HomeownerAssistanceFund.aspx.

Bilingual Homeowner Assistance Fund Fact Sheet (English/Español)

To be connected to housing counseling and legal services, please call 1-877-462-7555.

For assistance with completing the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund application, please contact a housing counseling agency that serves the county where your home is located:

Other Local Resources for Financial Assistance

• WSSC Water Community Resource Guide - English
• Otros Recursos Locales
• You also may call 2-1-1, which provides community health and human service resources, 24/7, in over 150 languages or go to https://www.211.org.

Download our Financial Assistance information sheet

Descargue nuestra hoja de información sobre ayuda financiera

We help our neighbors in need of water bill financial assistance in the following ways:

Flexible payment options

WSSC Water offers extended due dates and convenient payment plans for residential and commercial customers. Get the details on the Flexible Payment Plans page.

ATTENTION TENANT-OCCUPIED PROPERTIES
Tenant-occupied properties require the owner's written authorization to establish a pay plan, which requires completion of the Owner Authorization Form below.

Owner Authorization Form  |  Owner Authorization Form (Español)

Customer Assistance Program (CAP)

CAP provides a credit of up to $120 per year for WSSC Water's fixed fees on water and sewer bills. Late fees are permanently waived for CAP customers. To apply online for CAP, please visit the Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) website or call 800-332-6347.  You also may contact your local OHEP offices:

Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services

• (240) 777-4450 ohep@montgomerycountymd.gov

Prince George’s County Department of Social Services

• (301) 909-6300 pgcdss.energy@maryland.gov

Find out if you qualify on our Customer Assistance Program page. To check the status of your OHEP application, please visit https://myohepstatus.org/. Please note: the OHEP status online tool only works for FY23 applications submitted on or after July 1, 2022. 

Download the CAP Brochure                  Descargue nuestro folleto de CAP

Bay Restoration Fund exemption

This exemption waives the state-mandated Bay Restoration Fund fee of up to $60 per year. Customers enrolled in CAP are automatically enrolled in this program. To apply online for the Bay Restoration Fund Exemption, go to wsscwater.com/bayexempt. For more information, see the Bay Restoration Fund page.

Emergency Home Repairs/Maryland Homeowner Assistance WholeHome Grant:

The Homeowner Assistance Fund WholeHome Grant will help Maryland homeowners with emergency repairs at their primary residence due to COVID-19 financial impacts. Without addressing these repairs, it will cause the homeowner to be “involuntarily displaced” from the property. The grant will be capped at $10,000 and includes  emergency repairs like mold remediation, asbestos and lead paint removal, no heat or no air, electrical repairs, plumbing and septic repairs, and other structural and maintenance issues. For more information, call 877-568-6105 or email rehab.hafapplications@maryland.gov.

Download the MDHAF WholeHome Factsheet

The Water Fund

The Water Fund was established by WSSC Water employees in 1994 to provide water bill assistance to customers. Funded by donations from WSSC Water customers, employees and community partners, customers can make multiple requests for assistance with water and sewer bills, up to $500 per year. For more information, see the Water Fund assistance page.

To apply, call The Salvation Army office in the county where you live or go to https://salvationarmynca.org/gethelp/ for more information.

Montgomery County Salvation Army: 301-515-5354
Prince George’s County Salvation Army: 301-277-6103

What will I need to confirm eligibility?

All programs require that you be a WSSC Water customer receiving a bill in your name. You will need to present picture identification and proof that your income falls within an established threshold. Because different agencies administer them, each assistance program may have separate applications and eligibility requirements.

Bill adjustments

If you receive a higher than normal bill, you may be eligible for a billing adjustment:

• Bill adjustments are available to residential customers once every three years under certain circumstances.
• Commercial accounts may be eligible for a one-time high bill adjustment.
• Leaks: Leaks result in higher water bills that can cause financial strain. See our Household Leak Detection page for details.
• CAP-approved customers: CAP-approved customers may be eligible to receive a high bill adjustment removing 100% of the excess water and sewer usage for one billing cycle in any three-year period. See more about CAP below. See our Customer Assistance Program page for more information.
• Other high bill causes: Other adjustments for unexpectedly high bills may be available, including for medical reasons.

More information is available on the Bill Adjustment Request page.

Need help now?

Get started by calling 301-206-4001. Our Customer Service Advisors will help you determine the best programs for your situation. We are experiencing longer than usual wait times. We greatly appreciate your patience.

PipeER Water Service Line Emergency Replacement Loan Program

Do you have a leak on your residential water service line? Does that water service line need to be replaced? If so, WSSC Water is here to help with the Water Service Line Emergency Replacement Loan Program. 

PipeER provides a loan to finance the replacement of a leaking residential water service line. Qualified customers are eligible to receive a loan up to $5,000. For more information and to begin your application process, contact WSSC FCU by email at lending@wsscfcu.org or online at wsscfcu.org/pipeER.

More information on PipeER

How do I register for these programs?

Call 301-206-4001 and our Customer Service Advisors will help you determine the programs that are best suited for you. 

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