Mayor wants water rate hike for Chicago and suburbs

Water rates could go up 70 percent by 2015 under new plan

11/02/2011 10:00 PM

By RYAN SWEIKERT
Contributing Reporter

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Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pitching a plan in his new budget that would raise water rates for Chicago and the surrounding 125 suburbs by 70 percent over the next four years.

Proceeds from the increased rate will be used to improve on Chicago’s outdated water and sewer systems, systems that, according to Emanuel, are overdue for an overhaul.

The proposed increase would raise the water rate 70 percent by 2015, hiking the cost of 1,000 gallons of water from $2.01 to $3.82. The 25 percent increase in 2012 will be the largest single-year increase since 1981, bringing the water rate to $2.51.

Rises in the water rate are not uncommon. The city has raised the water rate 31 out of the last 34 years. The rate has been increasing more dramatically since 2008, rising 44 percent from 2008 to 2010. Even with these increases, Chicago’s current water rate is low when compared to similarly sized cities.

“Chicago has the lowest water rate of any medium-to-large sized city except for Memphis, Tennessee,” said Tom Laporte, public information officer at the city’s Department of Water Management. Memphis charges a rate of $2.00 per 1,000 gallons.

Sewer rates for Chicago citizens will rise as well, increasing between 86 percent and 100 percent from the current gross water bill by 2015.

In accordance with Illinois state law, the new budget will be reviewed by the Chicago City Council. The council must then approve the budget by no later than December 31.

Though the action has yet to be approved as part of Emanuel’s budget plan, some suburban community leaders are concerned that their constituents will be paying for projects they do not directly benefit from. In 2010, 47 percent of Chicago water revenue came from the suburbs.


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