Lincoln – The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is available to help lower-income households with water utility services (drinking water or wastewater) costs including deposits, reconnect fees, standard charges, standard fees, and taxes included in a Nebraska household’s water utility services bill.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) wants to ensure that all who are eligible, have the opportunity to apply for the LIHWAP assistance program. To qualify for LIHWAP, a household must:
- Have income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or include an individual with an active LIHEAP case;
- Meet the citizenship and residency requirements;
- Be responsible for water utility services; and,
- Not be otherwise disqualified or ineligible.
For Nebraskans unsure of whether they may qualify, there is no penalty for applying if you are not eligible. Trained staff is available to walk applicants through the eligibility determination process. If a household has an active or pending Economic Assistance (EA) case, the household may request LIHWAP without applying. Nebraskans can request or apply for LIHWAP:
- Online at https://dhhs-access-neb-menu.
ne.gov/start/?tl=en; - In-person at a DHHS Office https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/
Public-Assistance-Offices.aspx ; or, - By calling ACCESSNebraska at the numbers below:
- Lincoln: (402) 323-3900;
- Omaha: (402) 595-1258; or,
- All other Nebraska communities: Toll-Free: (800) 383-4278
| Size of Household* | 150% FPL |
| 1 | $20,385 |
| 2 | $27,465 |
| 3 | $34,545 |
| 4 | $41,625 |
| 5 | $48,705 |
*The above table is just an example. All household sizes can apply. For each additional household member, add $7,080 to the annual income maximum.
*LIHWAP in Nebraska is solely funded with federal funds. A total of $5,988,839 in LIHWAP federal funds are available for the federal fiscal years of 2022 and 2023.
