Water Affordability Program

Service Information

The Cook County Water Affordability Program is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will help suburban Cook County residents who are struggling with their water bills. 

This program is administered by Elevate, a Chicago-based nonprofit, in collaboration with the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, with funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. 

The program provides relief through three components: 

Water Affordability Technical Assistance: Ten spots are available for municipalities interested in developing water affordability action plans. This deep dive into water billing data will help them determine the extent of water affordability issues in their communities and recommend strategies to address them. Following these analyses, municipalities will have the opportunity to apply for up to $300,000 to implement some of the recommendations.

  • Municipalities interested in receiving free technical assistance to develop water affordability action plans should fill out an application on the Cook County Technical Assistance Program (TAP) website by Oct. 18, 2024.  
  • Consultants interested in conducting analyses should submit a proposal by Sept. 30, 2024; more information is available on the Elevate website. 

Water Bill Relief: This effort will assist suburban residents who have fallen behind on their water bills and are at risk of having their water shut off. This component will work with municipalities with the highest percentage of Income-Qualified Census Tracts and automatically enroll residents with past-due balances who live in qualified areas. The program team will contact eligible municipalities later in 2024. 

Cook County Leak Repair: This component will allow suburban residents to lower their water bills by repairing leaks and replacing inefficient and outdated fixtures. Applications for interested residents will open in the fall of 2024. 

  • Plumbing contractors interested in the program should respond to the Invitation for Bid by Sept. 30, 2024.  

Questions? 

For more information, email Cook County Bureau of Economic Development public relations specialist Kyle Garmes at kyle.garmes@cookcountyil.gov. 

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