Water Rate Setting Study Deliverables

In 2021, the Illinois General Assembly awarded the GFRC a state appropriation in the amount of $769,000 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery (CSFR) Fund. The funding supports a three-year “Water Rate Setting Study” that culminates in two reports addressing seven critical purposes, as outlined in Public Act 101-562 (approved in 2019) and amended by Public Act 102-507 (approved by Governor Pritzker on August 20, 2021).

The first report, focused on the Lake Michigan Service Area (LMSA), is available below. The work continues on the second report, examining the state as a whole.

Report 1: Water Rate Setting in the LMSA

The project has also led to the following peer-reviewed academic articles:

The Costs Of Lake Michigan’s Drinking Water

All data ensuing from this project can be found in the data portal below, which is updated periodically to reflect research progress.

The Water Rate Setting Study Data Portal

As a preparatory step, the GFRC assembled a primer that provides a preliminary review of water bills, rate structures, drivers of costs, and rate setting processes.

Research Primer: Water Rate Setting in Illinois