Pittsburgh Water Will Forgive Past-Due Bills for Low-Income Households Over 24 Months
About 4,300 households were enrolled automatically in an improved program that wipes out old balances as customers keep up with current bills.
Pittsburgh Water, the city's water utility, has improved its arrearage forgiveness program so that low-income customers can see old, past-due balances erased gradually, simply by paying their current bills on time. The updated program took effect on September 1, 2026, and Good News Network highlighted it on October 14.
How it works
Under the program, a customer's past-due balance is frozen and then forgiven in monthly steps over 24 months. Each on-time payment of current charges wipes out one twenty-fourth of the old balance. Customers do not have to pay down the past-due amount up front, and no payment plan is required.
- Who qualifies: residential customers at or below 200% of the federal poverty level with past-due balances
- How long: 24 months
- Automatic enrollment: current participants, plus bill-discount customers with arrears, were enrolled without applying (they can opt out)
- Scale: CBS News Pittsburgh reported that about 4,300 customers currently meet the threshold
- Missed payments: CBS reported that customers can miss up to two current charges and stay enrolled; more than two removes them
Why it matters
Unpaid utility balances can snowball, and a clear path to a clean slate gives families a reason to keep paying. The utility's director of customer service, Julie Mechling, told CBS News Pittsburgh that "there's help out there for people who are struggling."
Context
CBS reported that Pittsburgh Water was not regulated by the state Public Utilities Commission until 2018, which is why its program arrived later than similar ones at gas and electric companies. CBS also reported that the program is paid for by the more than 95% of customers who are not in it. Neither the utility nor CBS has published a total amount of debt to be forgiven, so the overall impact is not yet clear. Anyone with questions about eligibility should contact Pittsburgh Water directly.