Will County Judge John Anderson has approved a consent order ending the years-long lawsuit between state officials, University Park and Aqua Illinois.
This decision comes while Aqua and Illinois American Water — the state’s two largest private water providers — face opposition from legislators and the Citizens Utility Board for requested rate hikes that could raise water bills by $30 a month.
Anderson delayed the decision July 8 after some University Park residents raised concerns the $900,000 Aqua would pay for lead remediation was insufficient. However, because the order was previously agreed upon by the village’s lawyer, Burt Odelson, and the other representing attorneys June 7, Anderson signed the order.
Anderson, an Aqua customer himself, expressed his commitment to the people of University Park but acknowledged the previous agreement.
“I just don’t know that I have any choice but to uphold an agreement with everyone,” Anderson told attorneys.
Some organizations are concerned the water rate hikes could place an unnecessary financial burden on homeowners already facing historic property tax increases.
The American Association of Retired Persons started a petition urging the Illinois Commerce Commission to reject Aqua’s proposed rate hikes, which the Illinois Commerce Commission will review in November.
Jeffrey Scott, the associate state director of advocacy and outreach for the AARP, said the rising cost of food, medicine and housing are already burdening Illinois residents without the added financial strain from increased utility bills.
“When those regular monthly bills increase to this degree, it just makes it that much harder to stay in your home,” Scott said.
Aqua, which serves about 273,000 Illinois consumers, filed for a $19.2 million rate hike request this year. Shortly after, Illinois American, which serves about 1.3 million consumers, requested $152.4 million.
According to the AARP’s petition, if Aqua’s request is approved by the commerce commission, the fixed rate would increase from $2.48 to $21.95 a month.
“It’s very difficult for somebody on a fixed income, especially if they’re relying just on Social Security to manage these types of increases,” Scott said.
Aqua Illinois issued a statement similar to one released last week, saying the company is committed to delivering reliable water to customers across the state, but that systems it purchased in recent years were near the end of their usable life.
“We have spent millions of dollars to improve the communities we serve through infrastructure enhancements,” it reads. “Our customers have not seen an increase in rates during that time, but Aqua cannot sustain these continued investments in Illinois water infrastructure alone.”
CUB and some Illinois legislators are calling on consumers to oppose the rate hikes at the forums scheduled later this month and early August.
Illinois American’s rate hike forums are scheduled for 7 p.m. July 22 at the Levy Center – DuPage Township, 215 Canterbury Lane, Bolingbrook, and 7 p.m. July 23 at the Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign.
Aqua’s rate hike discussions will take place at 7 p.m. on July 29 at McHenry County College, Luecht Auditorium, 8900 US Highway 14, Crystal Lake, and at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 at Olivet Nazarene University, Wisner Auditorium, One University Ave., Bourbonnais.
“We do this to show the ICC that our members care about this, and that this does mean something to them, and they are watching, and they need the ICC to really look at these rate cases hard and keep the customer in mind at all times,” Scott said.
