Dear Mayor Johnson,

We, as residents of Chicago, urge you to support Water for All to ensure that water service is universal, affordable, and accessible to everyone in the City of Chicago

In the past 15 years water rates have quadrupled despite the fact that over the same ten years household income has only increased 35%. This leads to thousands of Chicagoans in debt to the water department, totaling $421 million in unpaid bills. The majority of this burden falls onto Black neighborhoods which have 10x more water debt than white neighborhoods. The city’s current system of asking low-income families to pay increasingly unaffordable water bills is clearly not working. 75% of payment plans are defaulted on or canceled entirely. There must be a comprehensive water affordability program to address this crisis. Without action, water bills will become unaffordable for growing numbers of Chicago residents. We need Water for All!

Water for All will provide affordable, democratic and accessible water service by:

(1) Expanding the Utility Billing Relief program to ensure more low income homeowners and renters are eligible for an income based reduced rate structure;

(2) Requiring the Department of Water Management to develop a plan to ensure equitable and just implementation of capital improvements in collaboration with an advisory board of stakeholders including public health agencies and organizations, labor unions, non-profit organizations, the school district, and community groups;

(3) Banning liens and tax foreclosures to collect household water bills.

Water is a basic human right. Universal access to safe water is essential for public health and community well being. We call on you to support Water for All so that every Chicago resident may have access to safe and affordable water.