If you’re looking for a way to help others this holiday season or to participate in GivingTuesday on Dec. 2, consider donating to the Hillsborough Water Assistance Program.

How to Help

The Water Assistance Program provides temporary assistance to eligible Hillsborough customers in paying their water and sewer bills. It is administered through a partnership with the local nonprofit organization Orange Congregations in Mission and is funded solely through your donations.

“Access to clean water is a basic human need; it can get really scary when life throws you a curveball and you find yourself choosing between a water bill payment and rent,” said Kay Stagner, the client services manager for the nonprofit organization. “The Water Assistance Program enables Orange Congregations in Mission to help Hillsborough customers keep their water on during those curveball times.”

There are three ways to donate:

• One-time donations to the fund — These can be made through the town’s payments and donations site.
• Monthly pledges of up to $20 — Existing customers can add these to their water and sewer bills using an online form.
• Direct donation to Orange Congregations in Mission — You can send a check to 300 Millstone Drive, Hillsborough, NC 27278 or stop by the facility. Note your donation is for the Hillsborough Water Assistance Program.

No overhead deductions or program administration fees come from your donations. Information on making donations by mail as well as a downloadable form are available on the Water Assistance page of the town’s website.

Overdue Accounts

Each month, about 800 to 900 town water and sewer accounts are overdue. Although most bills are paid eventually, customers sometimes incur late fees and service disruptions.

Hillsborough water and sewer rates are set to cover the costs of providing the utility service, which includes the operation, maintenance and improvements of the water and sewer system.

Whether the town treats 1 million or zero gallons of water and wastewater in a given month, costs still exist to pay for the employees and facilities providing this service. Your taxes do not pay for any part of the Water and Sewer Fund. 

State law prevents the town from charging different rates to customers based on income. 

Help Given

The Water Assistance Program was started in March 2006 with $5,000 from the town.

The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners voted in June to set aside $10,000 from the Hillsborough General Fund for the assistance program this fiscal year. The board allocated $10,000 to the program the last fiscal year too.

So far in 2025, just over $2,700 has been donated to the program. Last year, $2,836 was donated in addition to the board’s allocation and 75 households were assisted.

To help those in need, Orange Congregation in Missions uses general purpose donations in addition to Water Assistance Program funds. Overall, the charity has assisted Town of Hillsborough water customers with their water bills more than 300 times this year.

GivingTuesday

The generosity movement occurs the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It was started in the United States in 2012 as a day for encouraging people to do good and has grown to a year-round global movement that encourages people to give their time, a donation or the power of their voice to their local community.

Seeking Assistance

Those who need assistance may call Orange Congregations in Mission at 919-732-6194, Extension 12.