About 1,200 Aqua Illinois customers in Lake County spent about a week under shoddy water service and a boil order. It’s the latest concern connected to private water companies, as they blow through hundreds of millions of dollars of their customers’ money to buy up water systems in cities and…...
ICC grants Illinois American Water $85M rate hike (CUB helped cut increase by $14M)
Illinois American Water, the largest private water company in the state, has increased rates by about $85.4 million. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Dec. 15 granted Illinois American the increase after an 11-month rate case. The water company had requested a $100 million rate hike last July. “While we’re…...
Water: You pay, so you deserve a say
You pay your water bill, so you should have a say in whether your water system gets privatized. That’s the idea behind House Bill 2392, legislation in Springfield that would require municipalities to hold a referendum before selling off a public water and sewer system. Tell your state legislators to support…...
[Breaking] Fight bad water bill (again)
A few months ago, Gov. Rauner signed a horrible bill—an update to the Water Privatization Act. The bill allows the state’s biggest private water companies to buy up municipal water systems and raise rates for customers across Illinois. Well, there’s an exciting development: Due to a legal technicality, the General Assembly…...
CUB calls on governor to veto a bad water bill
CUB made headlines this week when the watchdog group stood with state senators and suburban mayors to ask Gov. Bruce Rauner to veto House Bill 4508, legislation that will give special treatment to Illinois’ most powerful private water companies and opens the door for higher water rates for people across the…...