CUB Urges Consumers To Attend Illinois American Water Rate-hike Hearing
CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2009—The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is urging consumers to let their voices be heard at a public hearing scheduled by state regulators regarding Illinois American Water’s proposed rate hike of about $60 million.

Contact:
For more information call
Jim Chilsen at 312-263-4282 (office) or 312-513-1784 (cell).
Click here for an Adobe Acrobat version of the news release.
The rate-hike would hit each of these districts with specific increases:

• The Pekin District: $1.9 million
• The Pontiac, South Beloit, Peoria, Champaign, Streator, Sterling, Alton, Cairo and the Interurban districts: $45 million
• The Lincoln District: $1.1 million
• The Chicago Metro District: $10.2 million for water service and $2.8 million for sewer services.


“The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) needs to hear how hard this rate hike would hit Land of Lincoln consumers,” CUB Executive Director David Kolata said. “We’re all struggling to pay our bills. This is the worst possible time for a rate hike.”

The hearing is:

7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4
Wheaton Community Center
1777 S. Blanchard Rd.
Wheaton


An ICC decision on the case is expected in April 2010.

CUB is Illinois’ leading nonprofit utility watchdog organization. It was created by the Illinois legislature in 1983 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, CUB has saved consumers more than $10 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB’s Consumer Hotline at 1-800-669-5556.