ALABAMA (WHNT) – Governor Kay Ivey announced on Friday that $8.7 million has been awarded in grants to help low-income residents and households in Alabama with water costs.

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program awarded grants to assist applicants in Alabama who qualify and have residential water and wastewater costs. The funds will be provided regionally through 18 community action agencies and will include all 67 counties.

These agencies will take applications and hand out payments based on qualifications and available funds. The payments will be made directly to the utility/water companies on behalf of the eligible residents.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grants using funds provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Below is a list of the 4 community action agencies in North Alabama, the amount of money they’ll be receiving to distribute in relief, and the areas they cover:

• Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc. – $216,685 for assistance in Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale counties.
• Community Action Partnership Huntsville-Madison and Limestone Counties Inc. – $651,801 for assistance in Limestone and Madison counties.
• Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. – $1.36 million – for assistance in Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall and St. Clair counties.
• Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. – $557,438 to provide assistance in Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan and Winston counties.

Here are the additional 14 community action agencies that will be providing funds regionally throughout the rest of Alabama:

• Community Action of Etowah County Inc. – $257,575 for assistance in Etowah County.
• Walker County Community Action Agency Inc. – $157,271 for assistance in Walker County.
• Pickens County Community Action Committee and Community Development Corp. Inc. – $138,748 for assistance in Pickens County.
• Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc. – $979,228 for assistance in Bibb, Choctaw, Dallas, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Perry, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties.
• Community Action Agency of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun and Cleburne Counties – $389,630 for assistance in Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph and Talladega counties.
• Community Action Committee Inc. of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa– $211,442 for assistance in Chambers, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties.
• Community Action Partnership of Middle Alabama Inc. – $423,933 to provide assistance in Autauga, Chilton, Elmore and Shelby counties.
• Montgomery Community Action Committee and Community Development Corp. Inc. – $436,165 to provide assistance in Montgomery County.
• Alabama Council on Human Relations Inc. – $242,897 for assistance in Lee County.
• Macon-Russell Community Action Agency Inc. – $205,501 for assistance in Macon and Russell counties.
• Organized Community Action Program Inc. – $539,615 for assistance in Bullock, Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Lowndes and Pike counties.
• Southeast Alabama Community Action Partnership Inc. – $525,023 for assistance in Barbour, Coffee, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties.
• Community Action Agency of South Alabama Inc. – $562,698 for assistance in Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Monroe and Wilcox counties.
• Mobile Community Action Inc. – $876,571 to provide assistance in Mobile and Washington counties.

“Lower-income families, particularly the elderly or those with children, need access to fresh water in their houses,” Gov. Ivey said. “These grants will provide emergency assistance for paying water bills so families will not have to do without access to indoor water and wastewater services.”

ADECA administers a range of programs that support water resource management, energy conservation, recreation, economic development, victim programs and law enforcement.