Since the start of the fiscal year, July 1, 2021, nearly 1,500 CFPUA customers have received financial assistance to help pay their water and sewer bills.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant financial hardship for families across New Hanover County. In February 2020, CFPUA temporarily suspended water service disconnections for residential customers to support public health by ensuring everyone in our community had reliable access to water.
In September 2021, after more than 17 months, CFPUA gradually began resuming delinquency procedures for residential customers. At the same time, staff worked to connect customers with financial assistance programs to help get them back on track with bills. That month, CFPUA, the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, and the Good Shepherd Center partnered to launch the CFPUA COVID Relief Program, which provides financial aid to pay for residential CFPUA bill delinquencies accrued after January 27, 2020, and through October 15, 2021.
Through this and other local and federal assistance programs, CFPUA customers have received a combined total of more than $900,000 to help pay their bills. The chart below details assistance approved so far this fiscal year:
Program | Customers approved for assistance | Sum of pledge value |
CFPUA COVID Relief Program | 440 | $312,438.79 |
Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) | 550 | $291,204.84 |
New Hanover County Emergency Rental Assistance Program | 200 | $154,762.78 |
New Hanover County Homeowner Assistance Program | 107 | $80,509.74 |
CFPUA Assist | 16 | $5,585.41 |
Other assistance programs | 180 | $64,051.92 |
TOTAL: | 1,493 | $908,553.48 |
A summary of each of these programs is available at this link.
The deadline to apply for the CFPUA COVID Relief Program is January 31, 2022. CFPUA customers can apply at www.CFPUA.org/Relief, or by calling the Good Shepherd Center at 910-763-4424.
Please note, you will need your CFPUA account number ready to complete the application. To find that number, please have your most recent CFPUA bill on-hand.
For more information on financial assistance programs, including how to apply, visit www.CFPUA.org/Assist.
Customers who have questions about their eligibility for financial assistance can also call CFPUA Customer Service at 910-332-6550.