TOLEDO, Ohio —
The City of Toledo has released a discounted water program for residents.
The Water Rate Affordability Program began with a city initiative in 2021. The Department of Public Utilities completed a low-income affordability study and it was recommended the city create a program to make water more affordable.
WRAP will give eligible residents a 25% discount on their water rate. To be eligible, customers must live in Toledo, have an individual water meter and meet the income requirements. Customers must also be the homeowner or have a landlord-tenant agent agreement on file with the city.
"If you and your homeowner sign the agreement, then the homeowner can assign that account to the renter," said Ed Moore, the city's director of public utilities. "The renter, based on their income, will qualify for the benefits."
The income requirements are based on the size of the household and the total household income. For example, a family of four with an income of up to $60,000 will be eligible for benefits.
To see if you qualify for the discount, the first step is to submit a pre-application on the city's website. The city will then verify the information, and once you are in the program it will retroactively apply the rate back to Jan. 1, 2024. Those who don't qualify should not see a change in their rates.
The program also allows people to apply for a $250 grant if they are unable to pay their bills once every two years.
Seniors in the city already qualify for a 25% discount. If they are a low-income senior, they will receive an additional 15% discount for a total of 40%.
Once a person applies for the program, the city will put them into an affordability portal so they will have access to other benefits.
"Our ideal situation is that we never have to shut a person off for non-payment," Moore said. "We always want to help, we always want to be there. If you run into problems paying your bill, call us."
For more information about the program and how to apply, click here.