H20 Program supplies hot water
to low-income home owners

The Lexington Department of Social Services, in conjunction with Home Depot, is pleased to offer the Hot Water to Our Community Program (H2O). Home Depot will supply the hot water tank and local licensed plumbers will inspect and replace the tank at no cost to the home owner. Eligibility requirements are as follows:

Must be experiencing problems with hot water tank
Must be a resident of Fayette County
Must be the property owner
Household Income must be at or below 150% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (Family of 1= $16,755; Family of 2= $22,795; Family of 4= $34,575)

To apply, eligible homeowners should contact the Lexington Division of Adult and Tenant Services at 258-3810 to make an appointment. The office is located at 1055 Industry Road.

The goal of Home Depot is to replace two tanks per month. The company is partnering with John Mulligan Plumbing, Rapid Plumbing, Lizer Plumbing and Michael Holbrook to provide this service.

There are a number of community agencies in Lexington that assist individuals with paying rent and utilities during times of financial crisis. Services are also available for rehabilitation, winterizing homes and basic repairs. However, this is a unique private/public partnership which fills an unmet need in our community. Many low-income home owners are elderly or disabled and their only asset or savings is their property. The average cost of installing a new tank is $600. This expense can create choices between food, medication, or hot water in a low-income household.