What Are We Doing about the Cost of Water? What About Water Privatization?

Water flows freely from our faucets, and we rarely give it a passing thought. It is time to start thinking about water. Over the next 4 years, water rates are scheduled to increase 70%. What are west suburban municipalities doing about the rate hike? And what if public access to water was limited by privatization?

• Emily Carroll of the Illinois office of Food and Water Watch  will define what water privatization is, why communities choose privatization, and what research results indicate about privatization have been.

• Richard Pellegrino, Executive Director of the West Suburban Municipal Conference will speak about our communities’ response to the water rate hikes that Chicago is imposing on all of us.  They are introducing state legislation that would give suburbs some input about the water system and charges, to lessen the effect of the de facto monopoly.