Water Subsidy for Poor Given Preliminary OK
The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday tentatively approved a new water subsidy that could trim about 15% off the average bill for low-income residents.
Water bills from the Department of Water and Power would be cut by $1.98 a month for disadvantaged families under the plan, which is scheduled for a final vote next week.
Other rate payers would see an increase of less than 1%--or about 6 cents--in their monthly bills to make up the difference, DWP officials said.
Officials said that more than 340,000 households could be eligible subsidies. Almost 100,000 other customers, either elderly or disabled, already receive “lifeline” subsidies that are even larger.
Combined, the eligible households amount to more than a third of the 1.16 million residential DWP customers.
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