Pittsburgh will wipe out water debt for families who keep paying their bills
Every on-time payment erases 1/24 of a household's past-due balance. No payment plan, no catch-up payment first.
In Pittsburgh, low-income families who have fallen behind on their water bills now have a simple way out: pay this month’s bill. Every time they do, the public utility Pittsburgh Water forgives 1/24 of what they owe. Two years later, the debt is gone.
The improved Arrearage Forgiveness Program took effect on 1 September 2026.
No small print
Households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level with past-due balances qualify, as long as they keep up with current charges. The big change: no payment plan, and no need to pay off the old balance first.
Existing participants and eligible bill-discount customers are enrolled automatically, and can opt out.
Why it works
Old debt is often a trap: people who can’t clear the backlog stop paying new bills too. By rewarding every current payment, the programme turns each bill into a step out of debt, and keeps a basic service flowing to the families who need it most.
