PWD Increases 2025 Rate Assistance Program Budget, Opening 135 More Spots by Palmdale Water District Jan 28, 2025 Member Submitted News PALMDALE – The Palmdale Water District (PWD) Board of Directors approved Monday night the interim increase of $40,000 to this year’s Rate Assistance Program (RAP). The additional money will allow 135 more qualified customers to receive $25 off the monthly service fee. Increasing the RAP’s budget from $170,000 to $210,000 will bring the number of customers receiving assistance to 700. The original 2025 budget of $170,000 covered 565 customers after the Board increased the fee waiver from $20 to $25 last November to offer more individual assistance. “The RAP is funded by non-operating revenues, such as proceeds from leasing property owned by the District, including mobile phone companies for cell towers,” said PWD Finance Manager/CFO Dennis Hoffmeyer. “We recently received a back payment, so we were able to ask the Board for this interim increase. Without this increase, we could not accept any more applicants because the program was already full in the first month of the year.” The program is open to eligible senior citizens ages 62 and older, veterans of any age, and low-income families who need assistance with their water bills. Customers must provide proof of income and be enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program with Southern California Edison or Southern California Gas Co. It is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Program participants must reapply annually. RAP applications can be completed on PWD’s website in English at https://bit.ly/ENGRAP24 and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/SPANRAP24. For more information or assistance, please call the Customer Care Department at 661-947-4111. Since 1918, the Palmdale Water District has provided high-quality water at a reasonable cost. We pride ourselves on providing great customer care; advocating for local water issues that help our residents; educating the community on water-use efficiency; and leading our region in researching and implementing emerging technologies that increase operational efficiency. For more information about PWD, visit www.palmdalewater.org. ###
