Struggling With Your Water Bill? Kalamazoo County’s Affordability Program Can Help
Kalamazoo-area families behind on water bills may qualify for help through a program that covered more than 460 households last year.
The Water Affordability Program pays down water bills in arrears for income-eligible families and helps keep water service on, city utility officials told the Utility Policy Committee this month. Families earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level qualify — about $65,000 a year for a family of four — and the program uses “categorical qualification,” meaning families already enrolled in programs like SNAP automatically qualify. The program is administered by the Community Action Agency of South Central Michigan and is funded through a state grant that officials said will continue through 2027.
The program isn’t limited to City of Kalamazoo water customers — anyone with a water bill in Kalamazoo County, including customers in Galesburg or other partner jurisdictions, can qualify regardless of which city or township sends the bill. Officials said the contact number for the program appears on every water bill in the county, including on the outside of past-due and shutoff notices, so residents don’t need to open the bill to find it. City officials said shutoff numbers have continued to decline as more families use the program.
Other items from the City of Kalamazoo Utility Policy Committee meeting on July 9, 2026:
- The city’s water fund received a clean, unmodified audit opinion for 2025, with auditor reporting strong liquidity (current ratio of about 6) and $37 million in capital investment for the year. Watch ->
- Lead levels in the water system have dropped to 3–5 parts per billion, well below state limits, as the city’s lead service line replacement and corrosion control programs continue. Service line replacement work is ongoing in the Edison neighborhood, with a $5 million contract recently approved to replace about 500 more lines through 2027. Watch ->
- A proposed amendment to the city’s utility financial policy is still being refined and won’t affect this year’s water rates; officials said they need more time to clarify ambiguous terms like “material non-cash accounting adjustments.” Watch ->
- The committee will begin its 2027 rate-setting process this summer, with a capital improvement plan review in August, rate proposals in September, and a recommendation to the City Commission expected by December.
