EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso Water increased its monthly allocation to the AguaCares assistance program to $10,000 last month, up from $8,000 the month before. Even with the increase, the program still exhausted its monthly funds by September 17.

El Paso Water says demand continues to outpace available funding for customers struggling to pay overdue water bills.

AguaCares assists customers who are at risk of disconnection and qualify for financial help paying overdue water bills.

Customers can receive up to $250 per year; that amount can either be used all at once or divided depending on the need,

So far this year, El Paso Water has distributed more than $75,000 in assistance, with nearly 400 applications approved.

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El Paso Water Chief Communications Officer Lisa Rosendorf said the program is funded through a mix of sources, including $ 50,000 provided annually by the City of El Paso.

“We do have some seed money from the city each year; we get customer donations, and we seek other types of donations. We end up having between 80,000-100,000 per year, which is not a lot,” Rosendorf said. “We are only able to help 50 customers or so per month; so far this year we are mostly meeting our demand.”

Rosendorf said the utility is trying to balance infrastructure needs with affordability. “We do realize affordability is very important right now, and we are trying to find that right balance between the investments need to make in infrastructure and affordability,” she said.

To qualify for the program, customers must have an account with El Paso Water and show they are at risk of having their water cut off. Applicants must also live in a single-family residence inside city limits.

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Residents say rising utility costs are making it harder to keep up with bills.

“It’s really hard for some people; it makes it hard to pay because you’re on a set amount. Especially for students, it’s really hard to deal with that if you’re renting because it costs so much to live now,” Damien Martinez said.

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

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