The City’s Public Utilities Department take steps to achieve affordability for working people and called on to do more to protect residents.
At the recent Joliet City Council meeting, the Joliet Public Utilities Department presented their proposal for revamping the city’s water billing structure to finance the new pipeline to Lake Michigan and other infrastructure projects. The pipeline is necessary to avoid the depletion of local reservoirs and to mitigate the possible threat of not having universal access to clean drinking water in Joliet.
The Warehouse Workers Action and the Joliet Utility Accessibility Coalition have been organizing around this issue for over two years, frequently pointing to cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Detroit that have addressed these challenges by lowering rates for low-income people while transferring cost burdens to those who can afford them. The Coalition has met with the water department during the planning process and was pleased to see that many community concerns and recommendations had been considered and addressed in the proposal to the Joliet City council.
Most notably, the proposal would implement a progressive rate structure, ensuring that those who use the most are those that pay the most. It also eliminates the regressive policy of billing renters as business users. The result is a system that will save many households money over the near term, and control costs over the long term as Joliet modernizes its water system.
The proposal is not perfect, as rates will still increase significantly for most users over the coming years, increasing price pressures on residents who are already struggling with the high monthly cost of utilities and basic public services. Warehouse Workers Action and the Joliet Utility Accessibility Coalition urge the council to continue to explore alternative revenue sources to ensure that no household is asked to pay more than 3% of their household income for the water they need to survive.
“I am glad to see the Public Utilities Department take steps towards improving water affordability as they grapple with changes to our structure,” said Suzanna Ibarra, District 5 Councilwoman. “That being said I have constituents in my district that struggle with their water bills right now, so I have committed myself to working closely with the department and local groups to identify any and all additional means to protect our residents. That includes asking industry to pay their fair share.”
“I ran for office because Joliet was facing a water crisis and we deserved a better solution than to just triple everyone’s rates,” said Cesar Guerrero, Joliet Councilman at-large. “I am grateful to our dedicated public works department and their outside partners for the care and attention they’ve given to this issue as they work to replace our crumbling water infrastructure without overburdening hard working families across Joliet. This week saw our city take a big step forward, but I am committed to continue working with local groups and residents to ensure that every option is on the table to keep water affordable for the people of Joliet as we rebuild our infrastructure for the 21st century.”
“Warehouse workers are seeing their cost-of-living rise and their wages stagnate while they generate billions of dollars of profit for hundreds of companies that move their goods through Joliet,” said Marcos Ceniceros, Warehouse Workers Action Board Chair. “Between record pandemic profits and millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded tax breaks and incentives, Joliet’s wealthy industries have the money to pay their fair share toward the public infrastructure they depend on, so the rest of us can have access to affordable water – a basic human right.”
“It is very encouraging to see the Joliet Public Utilities Department engaging meaningfully with community members and incorporating policy suggestions from local organizations,” said Tanya Arias, President of the Collins Street Neighborhood Council and Joliet Township Trustee. “Our community prospers when we all come together to solve common challenges. I encourage the City of Joliet to continue strengthening its relationships with community groups who can help anticipate how policies affect residents and provide valuable insight on how to improve city services.”
“Water is the most precious exhaustible resource on Earth and it is under threat in communities everywhere. The fact that we are witnessing Illinois’ third largest city turn to the Great Lakes for drinking water after the depletion of their aquifer is a stark reminder of the growing reality of water scarcity and the challenges that it brings,” said Ann Baskerville, Conservation Organizer with Sierra Club Illinois. “We are glad to see Joliet balancing the financial realities of residents with good stewardship. By implementing a graduated water rate to fund a system overhaul that would eliminate wasteful water leaks, we see Joliet taking meaningful steps toward reducing water waste while keeping this precious resource affordable for all.”
Based in Joliet, IL, Warehouse Workers Action builds the power necessary to secure higher wages, better working conditions, and stronger and healthier communities for Chicagoland warehouse workers and their families.