Residents struggling to pay their water bills may find help from a new program recently announced by Mayor Rick Sollars and unanimously approved by City Council.
Taylor has joined with the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency to offer assistance to low-income families who meet certain guidelines, a program called Water Residential Assistance Program, or WRAP.
“It is no secret that some families in Taylor struggle to pay their water bills,” Mayor Sollars said. “This program can be of assistance to those who qualify. Under the water bill payment plan, residential assistance can offer $300 annually. Those who qualify may receive additional assistance via other sources.”
In May, Mayor Sollars brought to the City Council an agreement between Taylor and Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency. That agreement will take advantage of part of a $4.2 million water-support program sponsored by GLWA to address unpaid water bills. GLWA is a regional water authority that services about 40 percent of the water customers in the State of Michigan. Under GLWA, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties share regional operation and control of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department in exchange for annual lease payments, an arrangement that finally brought all parties together in support of the newly-formed GLWA.
The new program is designed to help customers who meet the income guidelines of 150 percent of the federal poverty level — or $36,450 for a family of four. A maximum of $1,000 will be used to do a water audit and make home repairs that are leading to excessive usage.
Participants can remain in the program for 24 months. Households with documented water usage above 120 percent of the average usage will be referred to the Home Conservation audit. Through an affiliated funding source, households can receive up to $1,000 per household for water conservation and minor home plumbing repairs annually. Such repairs may include faucet aerators, spigot protectors, low-flow toilets, low-flow shower heads, leaking faucets, hose bib leaks and pipe joint leaks.
Not covered under WRAP are emergency repairs, plumbing that involves sewer-wastewater work, garbage disposals, dishwashers, washing machines, repairs behind walls or underground, and repairs that pose a risk to contractors (environmental or structural, for example).
The program is administered through Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency. Interested residents should contact the website at www.waynemetro.org/WRAP.