The Dupage Water Commission has a surplus of $100 million from collection of fees for delivering Lake Michigan water to communities in Dupage County. The charge for Lake Michigan water is $1.45 per 1,000 gallons. Apparently that is too much, vis a vie the surplus. Villages, Bloomingdale for one, and some others have gone on record for a reduction of the fee plus a return of some of this surplus.
How does this affect the average homeowner? Example:
Assume 14,000 gallons per month
X $1.45 per 1,000
$20.30 per month
A reduction of $0.25 per 1,000 gallons would save $3.50 per month for the average homeowner. A paltry sum. However, most villages take the water consumption fee and double it to pay for the sanitary sewer. Look at your own water bill and do your own math. This surplus did not appear over night, but over about 1.5 decades. So a $0.25 to $0.35 per 1,000 gallons may be a proper adjustment to bring the charge more in line with the cost.
Lake Michigan water is a precious resource so there is no complaint for paying for its use. Surplus funds in Illinois sometimes disappear, or become not so surplus. I would rather see a portion returned to the water consumers (perhaps $50 to $100 per household) to bring the surplus more in line with future needs. Not used to pay "consultant fees" to tell the commissioners the best use of the money which would more than likely be to spend it on "Pork."
The water that is removed from Lake Michigan never makes it back to the lake. Chicago and Dupage sewers deliver the water to New Orleans instead of back to the lake. Perhaps some of the funds could be used to create recreational reservoirs along the rivers leading to the Mississippi. Hey, there's always a need for another fishing hole.
David Spencer, Broker
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