Income qualified discount for commodity charges.
Columbus City Codes § 1147.19
in effect1147.19 - Income qualified discount for commodity charges.
(A) For purposes of this section, "income qualified residential customer" is defined as a direct residential customer of the city (whether inside the city or outside the city) having a total income of less than two hundred (200) percent of the poverty level as published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census or who is eligible for food stamp benefits, Ohio Medicaid, Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), Home Energy Assistance (HEAP), Ohio Works First, Social Security Disability, public housing benefits, or any other state or federal low income assistance program acceptable to the director.
(B) All income qualified residential customers may receive a thirty (30) percent discount on the commodity portion of their sewer bill. This discount will be available to the income qualified residential customer upon application to and approval of Columbus Water & Power.
(C) The Director may adopt regulations necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this section. Regulations promulgated, pursuant to this chapter by the Director shall be published in the City Bulletin, with copies of the regulations being available for public review at the Director's office and other locations which may be designated by the Director.
(D) Master metered properties are eligible to receive a thirty (30) percent discount on the commodity portion of their sewer bill if the property owner proves to the satisfaction of the Director that the property meets one or both of the following criteria:
(1) eighty (80) percent or more of the rental units are occupied by participants in qualifying programs outlined in 1147.19(A); or
(2) the property receives subsidized housing benefits from any state or federal low income assistance program acceptable to the director.
If the criteria are met, the entire building or complex will be eligible to receive the thirty (30) percent commodity rate discount. The discount shall be applied to the master meter bill. Property owners must transmit the full benefit of the discount to residents.
(E) Political subdivisions receiving water service pursuant to a wholesale master meter contract with the city are eligible to receive the income qualified discount if the political subdivision adopts the income qualified discount program as described in Section 1147.19 of the Columbus City Codes. Participating master metered suburban community customers must provide to Columbus Water & Power a detailed listing in an approved format of all qualifying customers and their commodity usage prior to application of the discount to the mastered metered account billing. The discount shall apply only to the measured commodity usage of qualifying customers within the master metered suburban community's customer accounts.
(Ord. 1904-05 § 2: Ord. 962-06 § 1 (part); Ord. 1708 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 2635-2014, §§ 3, 6, 12-7-2015, eff. 2-1-2016; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 3199-2022, § 2, 12-12-2022; Ord. No. 2837-2024, § 3, 11-25-2024; Ord. No. 3083-2025, § 1, 11-24-2025; Ord. No. 1882-2026, § 1, 6-29-2026)
Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT11WASEELCO_CH1147SECH_1147.19INQUDICOCHFetched: 10/27/2026