Recognizing that many of our customers may continue to face economic hardships due to COVID-19 or other unforeseen circumstances, we have expanded our customer assistance programs and are offering flexible payment plans for customers at all income levels. If you need help paying your bill, are carrying a balance, or think that you may benefit from our assistance programs, we encourage you to call us to learn which options are right for you.

Flexible Payment Plans 

For the first time in our history, we are offering payment plans to help customers at all income levels. If you are earning between 250% and 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), you can be placed on a payment plan making it possible to pay your balance over one to five years without accruing interest or paying additional fees. Even if you don’t fall within these income limits or are a small business owner, additional payment options are available, and we can put you on a plan to fit your circumstances.   

Customer Assistance Programs

We offer a variety of customer assistance programs for income-qualified customers that can help you reduce your monthly water and sewer bill, provide cash grants to put towards an unpaid balance on your water bill, and protect you from water shutoffs during the winter months. More information about enrolling in the following programs is available at www.pgh2o.com/cap.  

• Bill Discount Program: Provides a discount of $35.78 – a 100% discount on the first 1,000 gallons of fixed water charges for customers at or below 150% of the FPL. An additional 20% reduction on water usage is also available for our most vulnerable customers enrolled in the program.
• Hardship Grant Program: Cash grants, up to $300 per year, is available through our Hardship Grant Program for water customers at or below 150% FPL. Our average household grant is approximately $285 and since 2018 we have helped more than 370 Pittsburgh households maintain water service.
• Winter Shut Off Moratorium: From December 1st through March 31st customers at or below 300% of the FPL can enroll in the Winter Shut-off Moratorium to avoid having water turned off during colder months.
• Lead Service Line Reimbursement Program: As part of PWSA’s Community Lead Response, we will assist customers with the cost of private lead service line replacement if customers choose to proactively hire a plumber and complete the work. Please visit lead.pgh2o.com for more information.

PGH2O Cares 

Our newly launched PGH2O Cares team is proactively contacting customers that need extra support. They are providing one-on-one assistance to describe our customer assistance programs, explain the benefits of enrolling, and work with customers to identify opportunities to reduce water usage and save money. Representatives from our PGH2O Cares team are actively calling customers to understand their circumstances and to encourage them to enroll in our programs and utilize one of the new payment plans. 

Since 2017, we have invested approximately $328 million in capital improvements to construct needed upgrades to water and sewer facilities, storage tanks, and pumping stations. This investment in our critical water infrastructure will continue over the next several years to improve drinking water quality, improve system reliability, and meet all regulatory standards. 

We have made several enhancements to our customer assistance programs to balance affordability concerns for our lower income customers while investing in our aging infrastructure. As a publicly owned and managed water and sewer authority, every dollar we receive from ratepayers is reinvested back into our infrastructure and the improvements we are making to provide high quality, reliable water and wastewater services. 

To learn more about the payment plans and our Customer Assistance Programs, please contact our Customer Service Department at (412) 255-2423, email the PGH2O Cares team directly at cares@pgh2o.com, or visit pgh2o.com/cap to see which program is right for you.