According to Central Arkansas Water, a government program that helps with water bills will stop next month

Little Rock, Arkansas – A federally financed program that helped Arkansans with their utility bills is anticipated to be terminated by the state.

Customers have one week starting on Tuesday to submit their applications, according to Terry Frazier, director of customer service for Central Arkansas Water (CAW), because the funding might soon run out.

Water, according to Frazier, is necessary for survival and meeting daily demands. On September 30, he announced, a low-income home water assistance program, or LIHWAP, would come to an end. He exhorts clients to submit their applications by August 15.

“There is a cap for August 15th and that’s the last day to submit applications and those applications will be reviewed,” Frazier said. “Then once the money runs out from those applications the program will end.”

More than 30,000 Arkansans will be impacted, according to Frazier. According to him, the state collected 13 million dollars in April 2022, of which CAW received 10 million and distributed 4.1 million to pay consumers’ water bills. There are important pieces of information that applicants will need, according to Frazier.

“You’ll need a copy of your bill, you’ll need a copy of your income information and you submit the application online, if there’s anything missing someone will reach out to you and tell you what’s missing,” he said.

According to Frazier, they are hoping that the one-year trial program will be made permanent for Arkansans.

“We hope that the federal government will see the need and re-extend the program to be a permanent program similar to liheat, which is the Entergy version of this water program,” he said.

Frazier claims that LIHWAP has stopped the water being turned off for thousands of clients. He added they have worked with Promise Pay, which enables residents to set up payment installments, for individuals who apply but don’t qualify.