Some recent news about the privatization of water, and the efforts to fight back and keep water in public hands.

The Privatization of Water, Illinois

“It’s about the water to me. Water is our life, and it is our right, and it is our choice, and we are not going to let a private company come in and privatize us and then sell our water back to us.” Those are the words of Illinois activist Georgia de la Garza, who organized a town hall in Carbondale to discuss Southern Illinois water districts, including what some worried was the threat of privatization. De la Garza called the meeting after learning of a planned meeting among several water managers, state representatives, and a private water supplier. That meeting was postponed after some water managers who oppose privatization discovered the private company, Illinois American Water, had been invited. 

Public Water Victory in PA

As we pointed out in a recent issue of our monthly Privatization Takes newsletter, public water advocates in eastern Pennsylvania, achieved a victory earlier this year when the state supreme court ruled that the city of Chester, Pennsylvania alone did not have the authority to sell off the Chester Water Authority (CWA) projects to a private corporation. Instead, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled, the legislatively designated municipalities that share governance of the authority–the city of Chester, Chester County, and Delaware County, are the “property authorities” over the CWA. In the Public Interest covered the early stages of that fight in its 2024 report, Pennsylvania Water Wars: How Corporations Play the Long Game,

Americans say NOPE to Water Privatization

In an article last month, Truthout recently explored a number of victories for advocates of public ownership of water and sewer systems, despite the ways in which the companies devoted increasing resources to lobbying legislatures to tilt the legislative and regulatory landscape even more to their favor. “In David and Goliath battles, groups of neighbors have organized to pack public meetings, create petitions and ballot initiatives, elect their co-organizers to public office, and file lawsuits, under names like Neighbors Oppose Privatization Efforts (NOPE) and Keep Water Affordable (KWA). These advocates have helped change the narrative, turning public opinion against water privatization,” writes Truthout’s Katie Rose Quandt. Legislation to repeal a 2016 law that made it easier for private companies to impose rate hikes has been introduced and reported out of committee for the first time. [NOTE: In the Public Interest does not support or oppose candidates for elected office]

Will Superior De-Privatize its Water?

Superior, Wisconsin Mayor Jim Payne has proposed a public takeover of the city’s water provider, currently owned by the for-profit private water company Superior Water, Light & Power, now a division of Duluth-based Allete. “Not only do we have the only private water utility in Wisconsin, we have the most expensive water in Wisconsin. We have the most expensive water on Lake Superior. And that’s because this is the only place where Lake Superior water is sold at a profit,” he told Wisconsin Public Radio.

Privatizer Aqua to Pay Settlement

In April, a federal judge approved a $12.5 million settlement in a class action lawsuit between residents of University Park, Illinois and private water company Aqua Illinois over water contamination. A local school district’s drinking water test revealed it contained lead at 90 times higher than the EPA limit.

Public Vs. Veolia in Milwaukee

Following whistle-blower allegations about the operations of a wastewater facility, a Milwaukee group is hoping to block the renewal of the city’s wastewater contract with the private company Veolia. The commission that oversees the sewerage district authorized an audit of Veolia after the group, Common Ground, requested it. 

Early Warning in Flint Water Crisis

Most Americans know about the Flint water crisis, but Dr. Mona Hanna knew about it well before most Americans. The story of how Hanna examined hospital data to prove that lead levels had reached dangerous levels–and how she brought that information to the public, was told in comic form and animation in a series from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation called Great Immigrants Great Americans Comic Series, which features first-person stories of naturalized U.S. citizens. 

For more on water, visit In the Public Interest’s collection of our water-related research and posts.