Residents of Belleville, Illinois, will find it easier to get assistance with their water bills starting on Tuesday, thanks to expanded eligibility requirements. Illinois American Water has announced an increase in the income threshold for their discount program, allowing more customers to qualify for financial aid.

The Income-Based Discount Program, run by American Water, is designed to help customers manage their monthly water and wastewater expenses. This initiative has been operating in partnership with Dollar Energy since 2023, providing much-needed relief to eligible households.

Participants in this program who qualify will benefit from a recurring discount on their water and wastewater bills each month. As of July 1, the eligibility criteria will expand, raising the qualifying income limit from 150% of the Federal Poverty Level to 300%.

“The expansion of the Illinois American Water Income-Based Discount Program will help our residential customers who need financial help the most,” Rebecca Losli, President of Illinois American Water, said. “Our goal is to make water and wastewater service affordable to our customers while continuing to make strategic investments in our water and wastewater infrastructure.”

This expansion includes moving from a flat 70% discount on the volumetric/usage charge portion of the bill to a four-tiered approach that provides greater discounts to the people who need help. The four tiers apply to both the usage charges and the customer charge.

Losli also said that feedback from Illinois residents and communities led to Illinois American Water’s expansion of the program, approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).

“Our customers and community leaders wanted a more inclusive program. We listened, and

so did the ICC,” she said.

For any questions about the program or to apply for the program, people are asked to call Dollar Energy at 888-282-6816 or can apply directly on the company’s website. Once enrolled, people will be required to recertify their number of household members and income information on an annual basis to stay enrolled in the program.

This program is available in addition to Illinois American Water’s H2O Help to Others customer assistance program, which is administered via the local Salvation Army chapter.