The City of Oxnard has received funding from the California Water Arrearage Payment Program to assist customers with past due water charges accrued during the COVID-19 relief period of March 2020 to June 2021.
The California Water Arrearage Payment Program is a program that will be administered by the State Water Resources Control Board and utilize funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to make direct payments to community water systems to cover customer arrearages, or past due bills, resulting during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.
No. Water system customers cannot apply for the program. The State Water Board will allocate funding directly to eligible water systems that have applied. Water systems will then credit customers’ accounts based on program guidelines that are being established by the State Water Board.
The State Water Board will maintain a list of water systems that have applied for and received funding through this program. Once available, the list will be posted at https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/arrearage_payment_program
No. This program only covers past-due amounts that remain unpaid at the time a water system receives program funding.
Yes, if your water systems participate in the program. Closed accounts with past-due amounts accrued during the eligible funding period are eligible to receive a credit on remaining past-due amounts.
No. Funding for this program will go directly to water systems. Water systems will credit customers’ accounts consistent with program guidelines that are being established by the State Water Board.
Water systems are expected to begin receiving payments from the program in late October 2021. Community water systems have 60 days to credit and notify impacted customers after receiving funding. Water system customers should contact their water system for more information on when their accounts will be credited.
The amounts credited to a customer’s water bill will be determined by the total amount due, not based on monthly bill amount or number of bills missed. The State Water Board is establishing program guidelines, which will include how water systems must determine how much to credit customers’ water bills.
Yes. Customers will remain liable for any portion of their water debt not covered by this program. However, water systems are required to offer payment plans to customers for remaining water debt not covered by this program. Please contact your water system directly to ask about your options.
The Department of Community Services & Development (CSD) has recently been awarded funding for a new water and wastewater assistance program. The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) will provide emergency assistance to income-eligible California households to reduce arrearages that have accumulated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSD is currently developing program guidelines. More information will be available soon on CSD’s website at: https://csd.ca.gov/Pages/LIHWAP.aspx.
The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program provides financial assistance for unpaid and/or future rent and utility bills to income-eligible California renters and their landlords who have been impacted by COVID-19. Both renters and landlords can apply for assistance. Eligible renters may also receive assistance for unpaid utility bills dating back to April 1, 2020, or for future utility bills, which will both be compensated at 100% of cost, limited to a total of 12 months, and paid directly to the utility provider. Depending on the address of your rental property, you also may be eligible for a local program.
Visit the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief website to determine which program serves your neighborhood.
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For additional program details, please visit the State’s California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program.