The Arlington Department of Water and Utilities is digging into its pockets to offer a helping hand to low-income homeowners in need of minor plumbing repairs. The department's Minor Plumbing Repair Assistance Program shelled out $25,000 last fiscal year to ensure the taps keep flowing and to stave off the specter of unpaid water bills that too often lead to shutoffs. Homeowners looking to apply for this fiscal year's funds got the green light, as reported by the City of Arlington, Texas.
To tap into the program, residents ought to steer their browsers to the Arlington Urban Ministries website and lay out their income qualifications. If they clear that hurdle, the city signs on plumbing pros to take on repairs up to $1,500, from fixing leaky faucets to unclogging private sewage angst – though they draw the line at messes inside walls, or below terra firma.
Last year, the initiative patched up the plumbing issues for 18 homes and the fix was in – these households saved an average water wave of 9,551 gallons each. If the US EPA's stats hold water, we're talking close to a 10% savings on water bills just by plugging leaks, a move that's not just frugal but practically eco-friendly to boot.
The city's Care and Share Fund offers an extra layer of support, with bill-payment assistance programs bankrolled by donations. This plumbing program became part of the official Water Conservation Plan in October 2021 and is filled to the brim not by rate hikes, but by the department's non-rate revenue streams.
