CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

AguaCare program created to help struggling senior citizens avoid losing water service

El Paso Times - 11/2/2018

Nov. 02--El Paso Water, the city of El Paso and Amistad have teamed up to create a program to help struggling, low-income, senior citizens avoid losing water service due to lack of payments.

AguaCares will be operated by Amistad, formerly known as Project Amistad, an El Paso transportation and social services agency for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The city will provide $50,000 to get it started and is planning to provide a maximum of $1 million over 20 years to help keep it running.

Amistad also is seeking private donations to help fund the program, which will launch Jan. 1. It's for El Paso Water customers 65 years old and older.

"The AguaCares program will be a valuable tool we can deploy to help our customers in need," John Balliew, chief executive officer of El Paso Water, the city-owned water and sewage utility, said in a statement.

El Paso Water, under a contract with Amistad, will refer senior citizens who need help paying their water bills to the agency.

The agency will determine whether a person is qualified for the program and offer services including money management counseling, water-conservation support, water-payment plan arrangements and emergency payment assistance.

Emergency water bill payments will be the last resort and only used if a senior citizen is about to have water service disconnected, said Sonia Morales, Amistad's spokeswoman.

In 2017, El Paso Water disconnected 15,000 customers at least once for not paying their water bills, utility officials reported. More than 5,000 customers were disconnected more than one time. It's not known how many of those people were senior citizens.

Senior citizens in need of help paying water bills can contact the agency at 298-7307 to pre-qualify for the new program, Morales said.

The City Council on Tuesday approved a proposed agreement with El Paso Water to help fund AguaCares. The money initially would come from monthly water revenue payments made by El Paso Water to the city.

The first $50,000 will come immediately. The other 19 fund payments will be made annually.

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.

___

(c)2018 the El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas)

Visit the El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas) at www.elpasotimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Nationwide News