Vot e NO on SB 3573

SB 3573 is bad for Illinois consumers. It sacrices consumer protections for corporate
prot. It alters the current process for setting rates and reduces transparency and public input.
Opponents of
SB 3573 include:
Senate Bill 3573 results in
HUGE water rate increases
for consumers
SB 3573 wi l l al l ow al l ow l arge pri vate
uti l i ti es l i ke Il l i noi s Ameri can Water
and Aqua Il l i noi s to rai se thei r exi st-
i ng water rates by as much as 5% i n
between rate cases, so that they can
mmedutey prot rom the purchuse o
smal l systems. Thi s proposal i s outra-
geous because l arge pri vate uti l i ti es
al ready charge much hi gher water rates
than the typi cal l ocal government does
i n Il l i noi s.
Loss of public oversight
and accountability
SB 3573 al l ows compani es l i ke Il l i noi s
Ameri can Water to automati cal l y rai se
rutes or exstng customers n order to
earn a return on thei r acqui si ti ons. Thi s
b modes the lubc Lttes Act
such that the pri vate uti l i ti es can bypass
the standard regul atory process that i s
meunt to protect consumers rom the
expotutve prces possbe rom mo-
nopol i es l i ke pri vate water uti l i ti es.
Unnecessary consumer burden
Large pri vate water uti l i ti es do not need
unother tuxpuyer-unded boon ke S
3573. Whi l e many Il l i noi s househol ds
and busi nesses were sti l l tryi ng to re-
cover rom the recent nuncu turmo,
both Aqua Ameri ca and Ameri can Wa-
ter i ncreased thei r net i ncome by more
than 15% l ast year.
Facilitates water privatization
Many communi ti es i n Il l i noi s wi th
pri vati zed water systems have experi -
enced skyrocketi ng water rates i n return
or poor vuter servce. \hut's vorse,
pri vate water uti l i ti es, unl i ke muni ci pal
water systems, are not accountabl e to
voters.
For more information:
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
email: ecurrovvutch.org
phone: (773) 796-6086 (IL)
Copyright April 2012
Food & Water Watch

Food & Water Watch


AARP


Citizen Action/Illinois

Citizens Utility Board


Environmental Law and Policy
Center

Illinois Environmental Council


Illinois Maternal and Child Health
Coalition


Illinois PIRG


Office of the Illinois Attorney
General