BOLINGBROOK– Addressing the upcoming public forums on Illinois American Water’s $152 million and Aqua Illinois’ $19 million rate-hike requests, State Senator Ventura – along with a bipartisan group of state legislators – joined Citizens Utility Board on Wednesday at a press conference to reject the rate hikes for private water customers in Illinois.

“Water is essential to all life. We cannot allow profits to be put over people,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “I believe water should never be privatized for this reason. I will continue to work with my colleagues to protect access to clean, affordable drinking water.”

Ventura joined State Representatives Dagmara Avelar and Nabeela Syed as well as State Senator Sue Rezin for the press conference in Bolingbrook–a community that has suffered under high Illinois American bills. They detailed how Aqua and Illinois American–the state’s two biggest private water utilities–have abused their customers in recent years:

• In January, Aqua, which serves about 273,000 customers in Illinois, filed for a $19.2 million rate-hike request that could increase water/wastewater bills by as much as $29.91 per month. Aqua’s parent company, Essential Utilities, saw a 7% increase in profits, to $498 million in 2023, and the utility last received a rate hike, about $7 million, in 2018.
• In February, Illinois American, which serves about 1.3 million Illinois customers, filed for a $152.4 million rate-hike request that could raise water/wastewater bills by up to $29 a month. The utility’s parent, American Water, made $944 million in profits in 2023, a 15% increase from the year before. Illinois American has won $120 million in additional rate hikes in less than a decade–an $85 million increase in 2022 and a $35 million hike in 2016.
• In 2013, the utilities successfully pushed for a state law that allows Illinois American and Aqua to buy depreciated water and wastewater systems across the state and charge their customers to cover 100% of the acquisition costs.

“I join my colleagues to advocate for the General Assembly to reform state water policies that have continually hurt consumers,” said Ventura. “We must alert our communities of these upcoming Illinois Commerce Commission public forums on the proposed increases, which I encourage everyone to attend to voice their concerns over these rate-hikes.”

“Private water utilities are expensive, and, just like consumers’ bills, their dividends keep going up and up,” said Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s director of governmental affairs. “It’s time for Illinois lawmakers to insist water utility shareholders pay their fair share.”

The ICC will rule on the rate hikes in November for Aqua and December for Illinois American. Public forums regarding these water rate-hikes will be held on the following dates and locations across the state: 

For Illinois American Water’s $152.4 million rate-hike request:

• Monday, July 22, 7-9:30 p.m., Levy Center – DuPage Township, 251 Canterbury Ln., Bolingbrook
• Tuesday, July 23, 7-9 p.m., Champaign Public Library, Robeson Pavilion Room AB, 200 W. Green St., Champaign

For Aqua’s $19.2 million rate-hike request:

• Monday, July 29, 7-9 p.m., McHenry County College, Luecht Auditorium, 8900 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake
• Thursday, Aug. 1, 7-9 p.m., Olivet Nazarene University, Wisner Auditorium, 1 University Ave., Bourbonnais

For more information about CUB, visit their website at CitizensUtilityBoard.org.