Help with a Philadelphia water bill you cannot afford
If you are behind on a Philadelphia water bill, or the monthly amount is more than your income can cover, the first place to turn is the water department itself. However, there are other local agencies that may help as well. The Philadelphia Water Department and the city's Water Revenue Bureau run several assistance programs of their own, and one application covers all of them.
This page explains those programs — the Tiered Assistance Program, the senior citizen discount, payment agreements, and debt forgiveness — along with the two Philadelphia organizations whose regular work is water bills: the Utility Emergency Services Fund and Community Legal Services. Many charities in the city may help with a water bill only in rare circumstances, so this page keeps to the options where the realistic chances are.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: The water company, and partner organizations that they outsource too, may have someone knock on your door if you are behind on a bill. This is vastly different to most companies and goes against what we advise - that most outreach is a fraud. However, this may not be the case with a water bill. Be extremely cautious and we have more tips on this page.
One application covers every water department program
The Water Revenue Bureau uses a single application for all of its water bill assistance programs. You fill it out once, the bureau reviews it, and it enrolls you in whichever program gives you the lowest bill. You do not need to figure out ahead of time which program fits your situation.
The application is at https://cap.phila.gov/, and it is free. Most people finish the online version in about an hour, and you can save your progress and come back to it later. The online form is available in English and Spanish. If you would rather work on paper, call the Water Revenue Bureau at (215) 685-6300 and ask for an application in the mail — printed versions come in ten languages, and you have two weeks from your request to return it. There are also locations across the city where staff may sit with you and help you complete the application, and the application site lists them on a map.
Have a few documents ready before you start: something that shows where you live, and proof of each source of income in your household, such as pay stubs, a benefit award letter, or last year's tax return. The application asks for Social Security or tax identification numbers, but they are not required. If your household has no income, the application includes a section for explaining how you cover living expenses.
If someone calls, texts, or knocks on your door about your water account, that outreach may be real, because the city works with partner organizations to reach customers at risk of a shutoff. You can always check by calling the Water Revenue Bureau yourself at the number above. No legitimate program charges a fee to apply.
The Tiered Assistance Program (TAP)
TAP is the water department's program for households with low incomes, and it works differently from a grant. Instead of a one-time payment toward your balance, TAP changes the bill itself. Your monthly water bill becomes a fixed amount set as a small share of your household's monthly income, and it stays the same every month, so you know exactly what is due.
You do not need to be behind on your bill to apply. A household that is current on its payments but struggling to stay that way may qualify all the same.
The senior citizen discount and payment agreements
Philadelphia residents who are 65 or older may qualify for a 25 percent discount on the monthly water bill if the household's yearly income is under a limit set by the city. The same single application covers the discount, and the bureau compares it against TAP for you — whichever program saves you more is the one you get.
For households that do not qualify for TAP or the discount but owe more than they can pay at once, the bureau offers payment agreements. A payment agreement spreads the balance into installments you agree on, which may keep the account out of shutoff while you catch up.
Grants from the Utility Emergency Services Fund
The Utility Emergency Services Fund, known as UESF, is a Philadelphia nonprofit whose regular work is keeping utility service on for households in crisis, and it is the organization the water department itself points customers to for grant money. If you have a shutoff notice, if your water is already off, or if your account is past due, a grant from the UESF utility grant program at https://uesfacts.org/our-programs/utility-grant-program/ may pay toward the balance — and the water department matches the dollars UESF puts in.
The grant comes with one firm condition: the grant, the department's matching credit, and anything you can contribute must bring the account balance to zero. The goal is a settled account, not a smaller balance. There is an income limit tied to the federal poverty guidelines, and a household may receive the water grant about once in a two-year period, so it is for a genuine emergency rather than regular help.
UESF has a water assistance inquiry form on its website and can be reached at (215) 972-5170. Its staff also help people complete the water department's assistance application in person, at no cost. The organization runs several other housing and utility programs as well, and the NHPB guide to the Utility Emergency Services Fund in Philadelphia covers them.
Free legal help from Community Legal Services
Community Legal Services provides free legal help to Philadelphia residents with low incomes, and water bills are part of its regular caseload. Its utility advocates may be able to step in when the application process alone does not fix the problem: an assistance application that was denied, a shutoff that keeps moving forward after you applied, a bill you believe is wrong, or information about your options that the utility never gave you. The organization also represents Philadelphia's residential water customers as a group when the water department proposes rate changes.
The advice CLS itself gives is to talk to the utility about your options first, and to call CLS if that does not resolve it. Gather your bills and any notices before you get in touch. CLS can be reached at (215) 981-3700, and current office locations and hours are on the Community Legal Services utility page at https://clsphila.org/services/utility-bills/. We also have a more extensive guide on what free legal aid services in Philadelphia may provide.
Other help in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania
If the water department's programs, UESF, and CLS together do not resolve your situation, there are two other directions to look. Assistance with water bills exists at the state level as well, and the NHPB guide to Pennsylvania water bill assistance covers those options. If the water bill is one of several bills you are struggling with, the NHPB guide to assistance programs in Philadelphia lists help with rent, utilities, food, and other expenses across the city.
Program rules, income limits, and the availability of grant money in Philadelphia are set by the water department and the organizations named above, and all of them change over time. Confirm the current terms directly with each program before making decisions based on them. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice.
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