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If you need help paying a water or sewer bill in Michigan, start with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Water Assistance Program. Its county dashboards identify the local administrator; if your county is not listed, call 2-1-1. Contact the administrator promptly to confirm it is taking applications and still has funds, especially if you have arrears or a shutoff notice.
Find the program serving your county
- Open the MDHHS Water Assistance Program page and check its water assistance and affordability dashboards for the organization serving your county.
- If your county is not listed, call Michigan 2-1-1 and ask for water or sewer payment assistance in your county. Listings and eligibility vary by program.
- Contact the local administrator to ask whether applications are open and funds remain. Confirm who should apply, what verification is required, and whether it can help with your specific need: a current bill, arrears, restoration of service, or an affordability plan.
- If a shutoff is imminent, contact your water utility as well as the assistance provider. Ask the utility what protections apply while an application is pending; applying does not automatically establish a statewide shutoff hold.
Who may qualify for Michigan’s Water Assistance Program?
MDHHS’s published criteria describe a qualified account holder as having a residential account connected to metered water or wastewater service. The listed income or benefit test is household income under 200% of the federal poverty level and/or active participation in one or more named programs: Family Independence Program/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (FIP/TANF), Food Assistance Program/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (FAP/SNAP), State Emergency Relief (SER), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
These are published baseline criteria, not a guarantee that every household below an income threshold will receive assistance. The local administrator determines eligibility in an individual case, so ask it how the criteria apply to your household and account.
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What can water assistance cover?
Depending on the case and local administrator, allowable help may include restoring residential water or wastewater service, reducing water-bill arrears, preventing arrears, and establishing a reasonable affordability plan based on ability to pay. Ask directly which of these needs the local program can address and whether it requires a shutoff notice or other documentation.
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MDHHS says households can receive up to $3,000 in bill assistance per fiscal year. That is the program’s published ceiling, not a promised award or confirmation that money is available in your county. Funding is administered through Community Action Agencies until September 30, 2031, unless depleted earlier. The state page does not publish live county funding balances.
Local options differ
Detroit
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) lists local assistance options, including Lifeline, an income-based water affordability program. DWSD says residents enrolled in or applying for an assistance program remain protected from water shutoff. Review the city’s water assistance programs page and Lifeline Plan page for current enrollment details, monthly-bill conditions, and benefit-period terms; do not assume this local policy applies elsewhere in Michigan.
Oakland County
Oakland County announced on August 31, 2026, a partnership with United Way for Southeastern Michigan offering hardship assistance toward current water or sewer bills for up to three months. The announcement says exceptions may be considered based on individual circumstances. Check the county announcement and partner intake information to confirm the current application process, availability, and documents needed.
Use MI Bridges when it fits your application
MI Bridges is Michigan’s online portal for benefits applications, document uploads, case management, and finding community partners. MDHHS offers Navigator or community-partner help and in-person application routes. Water assistance may be handled directly by a local administrator, however, so follow the Water Assistance Program’s county-provider instructions rather than assuming every water application is submitted through MI Bridges. See MDHHS assistance program application guidance for help with the portal and application routes.
Questions to ask before applying
- Is the program accepting applications now, and are funds still available?
- Which person on the account should apply, and must the account be in the applicant’s name?
- Does assistance cover my particular need: a current bill, past-due balance, restoration, or an affordability plan?
- What income, benefit, residence, account, or metering requirements apply?
- Which documents should I provide, and how should I submit them?
- Will the utility pause shutoff while my application is pending or after I enroll? Ask the utility and program provider directly.
Compare local programs before choosing a route
When more than one option may serve your household, compare its county or service area, covered bills and services, eligibility rules, account-holder requirements, application window and available funds, shutoff policy, and application steps. Rules can differ between statewide and local programs, so verify the terms with the administrator rather than relying on another county’s policy.
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