St. Louis residents unable to pay their water bills haven’t had to worry about their water being cut off since 2020, but the moratorium issued during the pandemic is now being lifted.
Mayor Cara Spencer said during a press conference at City Hall on Thursday that beginning Sept. 1, city residents not impacted by the May 16 tornado will have to resume payments.
More than 10,000 households were affected by the storm, she said.
“Anybody affected by the tornado is going to continue to have an exemption here, but we're partnering with the collector of revenue and the water department to make sure that we have a very, very generous program for residents to be able to repay their water bills,” Spencer said.
Spencer said the city has drained its financial reserves while operating with deficits. City officials said more than 13,400 residential accounts are past due, with $12.6 million in overdue funds.
The mayor said $1 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds has been allocated to assist residents with past-due water accounts. She added that the city has partnered with United Way to provide grants.
“We are here to work with each and every resident who can start to make payments on an outstanding bill, recognizing that we’re trying to keep that balance between the revenue our water department needs, and making sure that we are not doing undue harm to folks,” Spencer said Thursday.
Residents will be able to apply for assistance and receive a one-time credit of up to $500 through an online portal starting Aug. 20. The funds will be applied directly to their account.
They’ll also be required to enroll in a repayment plan with the collector of revenue’s office to pay the remaining balance. Based on the amount of their balance, residents will have the opportunity to enroll in a six-month repayment plan or a 12-month repayment plan.
“The assistance program demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensuring access to essential services for all residents, particularly through challenging times,” Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly said in a statement.
Eligibility requirements to enroll in the St. Louis City Water Utility Assistance Program:
● Must be a city resident.
● Must meet income threshold qualifications of earning less than 60% of the area median income.
● Applicants must demonstrate (self-attest) COVID-19 pandemic-related hardship in lost income.
● Must enroll in a repayment plan with the Collector of Revenue.
● Must provide proof of identity, copy of recent water bill, proof of income and proof of a Social Security number.
Residents can call the city’s customer service team at 314-771-2255 to discuss repayment options. Officials say personal information will be kept confidential.
