Lower hybrid wave heating has been investigated in a low-density stellarator plasma (Bo=0.288 T, ne=1017 m-3, kTeo=4.2 eV, kTio=2.0 eV) in the presence of strong drift wave turbulence. Time-resolved and local measurements of ion temperature were achieved by a small electrostatic ion energy analyzer. Radial profiles of heating rate and energy confinement time were measured. From a simple local ion energy balance equation, the radial profile of power gained by the ions from the LH-wave field is computed. The result is compared to the predictions of various possible heating mechanisms. Classical collisional damping of the LH-wave by far (2-3 orders of magnitude) underestimates the observed ion heating. Landau damping, stochastic heating, parametric effects and d.c.-fields are found to underestimate the experimental values by at least one order of magnitude as well.