Legislators need to support water bill reform

Senate Bill 75, sponsored by state Sen. Laura Murphy, would bring much-needed transparency to water bills and help slow private-water rate hikes. That means Illinois American Water, Aqua Illinois and Prairie Path don’t like this bill.

Most of the water and wastewater systems in Illinois are still publicly owned, and while public water is not perfect and doesn’t mean you will never have a rate increase, it has proven less expensive over the long run. That’s because customers pay for the profits, dividends, taxes on the profits and acquisition costs for private utilities in their rates.

Private water utilities aren’t out to impress customers with their rates — they want to impress Wall Street.

But SB 75 is a common sense bill to bring transparency to water rate increases. As amended, the bill would:

• Remove a surcharge from state law that private water utilities use to increase rates more quickly, and in-between rate cases.

• Require private water shareholders to pay the majority of the purchase price when those utilities buy public water or wastewater systems.

Please urge your state legislators to support SB 75 and fight rampant private water rate hikes. Don’t let your voice be silenced!

Bryan McDaniel

Director of Governmental Affairs

Citizens Utility Board