Illinois American Water customers speak out on $129 million rate hike at Bolingbrook hearing

About 200 Illinois American Water customers gathered at the Bolingbrook Community Center Wednesday night to express their concerns about a proposed rate hike by the water provider.

The hearing was presented by the Illinois Commerce Commission, but no commissioners were present, only an administrative judge and executives from Illinois American Water.

The company has proposed a $129 million rate hike, which CUB, the state’s non-profit utility watchdog organization, said will cost the typical residential water customer an additional $10 per month based on typical usage of 3,500 gallons per month, while the average wastewater customer would see an increase of $23 per month.

This would be the fourth and largest rate hike for the private, investor-owned water company in the past 10 years.

As was the case in the July ICC hearing, no commissioners were present Wednesday night, only an administrative judge, along with executives from Illinois American Water.

Bolingbrook resident Nancy Mizura spoke at Wednesday’s hearing and cited problems with water main breaks that caused flooding in residences. Illinois American Water “was negligent” in its lack of service and response to those problems, she said.

“They don’t deserve another penny of our money,” Mizura said, being greeted with loud applause from the audience.

Longtime Bolingbrook resident and former village trustee Judy Bredeweg, 85, said she was protesting the rate hike because “her pockets are empty and you (Illinois American Water) are part of the problem.”

CUB Communications Director Jim Chilsen said Illinois American Water has already received approval for $230 million in rate increases since 2016, with the most recent coming in 2024 for $110 million.

“When is enough enough?” he said Wednesday night. “While customers suffer under these rate hikes. Illinois American prospers.”

Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Baily was also in attendance.

Wednesday’s hearing was preceded by Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta addressing the media to reiterate the village’s opposition to the rate increase.

“This is going to be detrimental to residents. This is an additional $500-$600 per year hit on top of all the other rising costs people are facing,” she said.

“Wages are not keeping up with the cost of living increases people are facing across the state, and this is a for-profit company,” she said. “They had $1.1 billion in net profits last year. They can afford to improve their own infrastructure without passing the costs on to users who have no choice in the matter and no ability to shop around for service.”

The proposed rate hike is intended to cover the cost of new acquisitions by Illinois American Water, which state laws allow the companies to pass on all costs of to customers.

A similar hearing held in July drew over 600 attendees, and Alexander-Basta previously expressed disappointment that none of the ICC commissioners attended that hearing in-person.

Illinois American Water provides Lake Michigan water services to 1.3 million people in 148 communities throughout Illinois, including Bolingbrook, Mokena, Romeoville, Plainfield, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Lemont, and Naperville in Will County neighboring Orland Park and Orland Hills in Cook County, and Morris in Grundy County

It also serves communities in DeKalb and Kane and McHenry counties.

“CUB urges Illinois American Water customers to let the Illinois Commerce Commission know that you’re fed up with the water utility’s serial rate hikes,” said Chilsen in a statement leading up to the event. “As CUB’s legal team challenges the rate hike, we invite water customers to join our campaign against this increase.”

In its statement, CUB said that Illinois American and Aqua Illinois, the state’s second-largest private water utility, have together purchased 61 small water systems since 2013 and passed $411.5 million in acquisition costs onto customers, while Illinois American’s national parent company, American Water, has made $1 billion in profits each of the last two years.