By Marion Flint and Stacey Isaac Berahzer

This is one in a series of blog posts that describe customer assistance programs (CAPs) for customers who are experiencing financial hardships at specific Georgia utilities. CAPs take different forms, but they provide help to customers who can’t afford their water/wastewater bills, a situation that has worsened with the economic downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Henry County Water Authority

The Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) provides water service to over 61,000 residential customers and wastewater services to over 24,000 residential customers within unincorporated Henry County along with the cities of Hampton, Locust Grove, McDonough, and Stockbridge in Georgia. It has a total service area population of 240,900 people. This utility has a water treatment capacity of 40 million gallons per day and a wastewater treatment capacity of about 10.7 million gallons per day. What does the average customer pay for these services? For an HCWA residential customer who consumes about 4,500 gallons of water per month, the average bill will be about $35.26 respectively for both water and wastewater services based on August 2020 water and wastewater rates.

Charitable Assistance Program

In 2014, HCWA launched its Charitable Assistance Program, or “Round-Up” program. This program, initially proposed by a board member, was created as a means for customers in need, or in transition, to receive help paying their water and wastewater bills. The program is funded by allowing customers to make contributions that will assist their fellow citizens. The water utility allows anyone to make contributions to fund the program, however, current customers can easily participate by contacting HCWA and completing an enrollment form that gives HCWA permission to “Round-Up” the bill and transfer excess funds towards financing the program. All funds collected are used exclusively for HCWA customers’ water and wastewater bills and enrollees can opt-out at any time. The funds are then dispersed to those customers in need under the direction of Samaritans Together, a charitable organization that provides various forms of assistance to families in need.

Partnering with Samaritans Together of Henry County

Eligibility Criteria

Customers serviced by Henry County Water Authority who are in need of financial assistance are directed to contact the Samaritans Together organization. This non-profit organization provides financial assistance to qualified residents. This includes those who are facing unexpected needs or special hardships. An eligible individual can receive assistance through the program one time.

In addition to administering HCWA’s Charitable Assistance Program, when someone applies for financial aid, intake workers review the applicant’s income and spending habits in order to aid clients in identifying additional social services for which they may qualify. Because Samaritans Together provides assistance in a number of different areas and not just towards water and wastewater utility payments, they will conduct a more in-depth interview with eligible customers to determine where their needs lie and assist accordingly. Customers are required to show a valid photo ID or driver’s license as well as an eviction or utility cutoff notice.

Further assistance provided by Samaritans Together includes help with other past due utility bills and mortgage or rent payments to citizens of Henry County Georgia who are at or below the poverty level. In the last two years (2018 & 2019), HCWA’s CAP alone provided over $33,000 in assistance to families.

Funding

CAPs are funded in a variety of ways, but funding for this program comes from contributions from HCWA customers through the utility’s “Round-Up” or Charitable Assistance Program. Funds are collected throughout the year and distributed to Samaritans Together. Since the program’s inception in 2014, the HCWA Charitable Assistance Program has raised over $59,000 through customer donations.

Additional Resources

For more information on the HCWA Charitable Assistance Program and to see how you can contribute, please contact the utility’s customer service department.

Toilet Rebate Program

Another way to assist customers is to facilitate them in lowering their water use through efficiency measures, such as low-flow toilets. Like all other utilities in the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District (District), Henry County Water Authority has the option to partner with the District to provide financial incentives to their customers to replace older, inefficient toilets via the District’s Toilet Rebate Program. Having a toilet replacement program is required under the District’s Water Resource Management Plan for all utilities within the District region. Since the program’s inception in 2008, the region has replaced over 145,000 toilets. Through a contract between the utility and the District, this program provides customers with a one-time credit on their monthly water bill for upgrading their homes with WaterSense labeled efficient toilets. The District’s program has a two-tiered rebate structure, with a larger incentive for UHETs (Ultra-High Efficient Toilets; using 1.1gpf or lower) receiving a $100 credit and HETs (High-Efficiency Toilets; using 1.28gpf) receiving a $50 credit.

To be eligible for the rebate program, customers must own or rent a single-family residential home built in 1993 or earlier, be up-to-date on water utility billing payments, and purchase and install a WaterSense labeled toilet. After an approved toilet is installed, customers must complete a rebate application online or by mail, along with a copy of their toilet purchase receipt and most recent water bill to the District. Only two (2) toilet rebates are granted per property (including previous owners).

In addition to the single-family program, Henry County also participates in the District’s Multi-Family Toilet Rebate Program to include apartments, townhome communities, and condominiums. This program targets property owners or managers performing large-scale renovations to a property. Similar to the Single-Family program, there is a higher rebate incentive for the installation of UHETs at $75 per toilet and $50 for HETs. Eligibility for the Multi-Family Toilet Rebate Program includes the following:

• The property must have been built in 1993 or earlier for residential use

• The property must have a master-metered residential account with the utility

• The property must contain older toilets (pre-1994) using 3.5 gallons per flush or more

• The property must replace a minimum of 30 eligible toilets

• The property cannot purchase and/or install new toilets prior to the District’s approval (toilets purchased without approval will not be eligible for rebate)

• The property can only receive one rebate for the life of the program

Once toilet installation is verified and eligibility approval is received from the District, HCWA is notified and as long as the customer is in good standing on their utility account, the renovated property receives a credit on an upcoming water bill.

Henry County Water Authority has been a long-term participant in the District’s Toilet Rebate Program, with the utility’s continued partnership in the program renewed on an annual basis. The District plays the role of ensuring that the program is reflective of the leading advances in water-efficient toilets. To learn more about this program and to see if your utility is a participant in the District’s program, visit their website.

This is part of a blog post series funded by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).

Disclaimer: The opinions of the writers should not be considered legal advice or endorsement by GEFA.