Temporary Assistance Program

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How to Apply ("TAP In")

$1 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have been allocated to assist residents with past-due water accounts.

While you are encouraged to complete the application online, paper applications will be available at the Water Division, Kingshighway Office, and at the following St. Louis Public Libraries:

St. Louis Public Libraries

  • Baden
  • Barr
  • Buder
  • Carondelet
  • Carpenter
  • Central
  • Charing Cross
  • Divoll
  • Kingshighway
  • Machacek
  • Marketplace
  • Schlafly
  • Walnut Park

Assistance is being distributed based on available funding on a first- come, first-served basis. The program will no longer be available when funds run out.

Required Eligibility Documentation

  • Photo ID
    • A photo of a valid Missouri State Photo ID or valid Drivers’s License
  • Proof of Primary Residence (Must match service address for St. Louis Water Division Account. At least one from the following):
    • Valid State ID
    • Valid Driver’s License
    • Utility Bill (other than water bill)
    • Copy of your most recent City, State or
    • Federal tax return
    • Voter registration
  • Demonstrate COVID-19 Hardship You and/or a family member were impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Proof of COVID-19 Hardship may be a self-attestation statement
  • Proof of Earned and Unearned Income for all Household Adults (At least one of the following for ALL adults with income):
    • (Proof must show gross pay)
    • 2 consecutive check stubs that are less than 60 days old
    • Letter from employer
    • Pension letter
    • Armed Forces Allotment
    • Child Support
    • Union Funds or Strike Benefits
    • Government benefit statement letters
      • SSI/SSDI Award Letter
      • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
      • Unemployment award
      • WIC or SNAP award letters or benefit statements
    • If self-employed
      • Most recent tax return
      • Profit and loss statement
  • Proof of Social Security Number for all Household Members (At least one of the following):
    • Social Security Card
    • Award letter
    • Tax return with the social security numbers for all household members
  • Past Due Water Utility Bill
    • Most recent water utility bill at least 90 days past due

Repayment Plan & Eligibility

Area Median Income Chart

The St. Louis Water Utility Assistance Program also includes a financial literacy component and mandatory enrollment in a repayment plan to ensure that residents can pay off their water debt in full.

Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and consist of a one- time credit of up to $500.

Eligibility

  • St. Louis City Resident
  • Demonstrate COVID-19 Hardship You and/or a family member were impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Over 90 days delinquent
  • Must enroll in a debt repayment plan for outstanding water and refuse charges and agree to receiving financial literacy information from the Saint Louis City Treasury Division
  • Household income at 80% AMI (Area Median Income) or below

In November 2024, the City of St. Louis Water Division contacted through the mail all property owners whose service line material is categorized as lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown. Water customers were asked to respond to a survey online or by phone to help the Water Division update its inventory.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has created this video guide to help identify your service line material.

Service lines are entirely owned by the property owner.

The City of St. Louis Water Division is aggressively pursuing grant funding to pay for replacement of lead service lines on behalf of the property owners; this program will require applications and have eligibility requirements. At this time, City ordinances do not allow for the replacement of privately owned lead service lines using revenues collected through water rates. The City is developing a zero-interest loan program to assist property owners who choose to replace their lead service lines at their own expense.

Currently, property owners are responsible for replacing service lines, because service lines are owned by the property owner.

However, the City of St. Louis has applied for federal funding, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to provide financial assistance for qualifying property owners seeking to replace lead service lines. While the City is developing our lead service line replacement plan, we cannot currently give more specific information about this assistance until the plan has been completed and a replacement program to distribute the funding has been implemented.

Yes!

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can result in new learning and behavioral problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavioral problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have an increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems.

Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person’s total lead exposure. Infants who drink baby formulas and concentrates that are mixed with water containing lead are particularly at risk. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20% or more of a person’s total exposure to lead.

For more than 20 years, the City has been treating its water with an optimized corrosion control treatment strategy, which minimizes the absorption of lead from customers’ service lines or internal plumbing. The Water Division routinely tests City water, and this treatment has been shown to be effective in keeping lead levels in customers’ homes well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency action level of 15 parts per billion, and also well below the 10 ppb action level set to take effect in 2027. The Water Division tests water quality at the treatment plants multiple times a day and tests the water at a representative sample of homes with lead service lines to meet the EPA’s regulatory requirements for compliance.