Coachella city officials issue water bill debt relief

City of Coachella officials issued debt relief to nearly 500 customers in the Coachella Water Authority struggling to pay bills, it was announced today.

The relief comes from a $203,000 grant provided by the state through the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program, according to city spokesperson Risseth Lora. Relief was provided to those who fell 60 days or more behind in their bills between March 4, 2020, and June 15, 2021.  

"Our focus remains the wellbeing and stability of our residents and business owners, and our goal is to give them as much of a fresh start as we can," Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said. "The pandemic created hardships
for many, and we continue to take advantage of resources for our community as they come available.''  

The state's Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program allocated a total of $985 million in federal funding to community water systems.   

"The city really appreciates implementation of the arrearages program which helped keep our residents from paying late fees and having their service disconnected," Mayor Pro Tem Josie Gonzalez said. "It made an unfortunate situation so much more manageable for everyone."