HR0875 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0875 LRB100 20983 MST 36629 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Clean, safe, reliable water service is essential to the health and well-being of all residents of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Implemented regulations set in place by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SOWA) should be followed; and

WHEREAS, The events in Flint, Michigan, where thousands of mostly low-income residents were poisoned by contaminated water, have drawn attention to the harmful consequences of underinvestment in and slack oversight of water infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Lead contamination tends to disproportionately impact communities of color, with studies having found a correlation between elevated lead poisoning rates and cities with large African American populations; and

WHEREAS, According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), U.S. water infrastructure across the country is rapidly deteriorating, with a significant portion far past its useful life; and

WHEREAS, The ASCE, which assigned the nation's drinking water infrastructure a grade of 'D' in its most recent Infrastructure Report Card, estimates that $1 trillion in new investment is needed over the next 25 years to modernize this infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, There are over 52,000 community water systems in the U.S., 84% of which are owned by municipal or county governments; and

WHEREAS, Many municipalities in Illinois which provide water service to their residents lack the financial and technical resources needed to effectively maintain their systems and meet critical environmental and quality compliance requirements; and

WHEREAS, These interrelated issues, coupled with the financial struggles facing many local governments across the state of Illinois, have made it financially impractical for some municipalities to continue maintaining primary oversight of their water systems; and

WHEREAS, In some instances, the sale of a water system by a financially distressed municipal government can relieve fiscal pressure, spur infrastructure investment, and raise water quality; and

WHEREAS, Working with private entities in this matter via public-private partnerships can also allow municipalities to benefit from economies of scale, greater access to capital, and technical expertise; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois should be fully involved and consulted in any process that may affect the management of their water service; and

WHEREAS, The provision of water service by a private entity is subject to strict public utility and environmental regulation; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call on policymakers at every level of state government to pursue policies that prioritize the expeditious replacement of all remaining lead-based water infrastructure in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we declare our support and encourage municipalities and all other providers of water service to pursue the full range of options for assuring that water infrastructure in Illinois is as safe, modern, and as accessible as possible; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support plans to provide water in emergency situations because individuals should have a right to water even under adverse circumstances and in the face of natural disasters; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President of the United States, the Vice- President of the United States, all members of the U.S. Congress, and other federal and state officials as appropriate.