Mainers who have fallen behind or had difficulty paying their drinking water or wastewater bills during the pandemic will now have help from a recently announced Maine State Housing program which will pay the utilities on their behalf.

The Maine Water Assistance Program is funded by $4.7 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. It may be used for unpaid bill balances, property liens for non-payment and bills for customers facing a disconnection notice or as a credit toward future costs.

“MaineHousing is pleased to open this new program for Mainers who may need help with their water costs,” Erik Jorgensen, MaineHousing’s senior director of communications and government relations told the Boothbay Register in a recent email. “We know it will make a difference for thousands of households while also relieving the financial burden of unpaid bills for our many water and wastewater utility providers.”

Jorgensen noted that launching this program has been a collaborative effort among a group of partners, including Maine Rural Water Association, Maine Water Utilities Association, the Office of the Public Advocate and the Public Utilities Commission. “We are also grateful for the support of our U.S. Congressional delegation and the funding that is being provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.”

Each water and wastewater district in Maine must enroll in the program individually.

An advanced public notice from MaineHousing explained that the program will clear outstanding balances or create a one-time payment that would be applied to current or future bills. Payments are made to the utility, not to the customer.

According to Chris Higgins, superintendent of Boothbay Harbor Sewer District, “The District is enrolled in the Program with Maine Housing and ready to assist our qualifying customers with this process. Customers should contact the District office Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for assistance. All qualifying customers must have the proper documentation as outlined by Maine Housing in order to apply.”

Boothbay Region Water District General Manager Jon Ziegra told the Register, “The BRWD has been following this effort for some time and are glad to see it come to fruition. We are considering it and will have more information for customers soon.”

To qualify, an applicant must be a homeowner or renter and pay for their own water and/or wastewater services separately from rent. Eligibility is also determined by household income. See the income table at the Maine Water Program website: https://www.mainehousing.org/programs-services/energy/energydetails/mwap

Those applying will also be required to provide:

- Completed application (available at https://www.mainehousing.org/docs/default-source/energy/water-assistance-program/water-assistance-program-application.pdf?sfvrsn=c8af8315_1

- Water and/or Wastewater bill with customer’s name on it

- Proof of income or benefit letter

- Copy of each household member’s Social Security card, birth certificate or passport as proof of citizenship or documentation issued by USCIS as proof of qualified non-citizenship

For more information, contact MaineHousing at (888) 623-6762.