Cook County Board to examine high disparity in water rates

Alarmed by the wide disparity of water rates in the Chicago area and excessive water loss, the Cook County Board voted Wednesday to hold a hearing that will examine the issue.

Commissioner Richard Boykin proposed the hearing after an investigation by the Chicago Tribune found that residents in the region’s lowest-income communities pay more for their water — as much as six times more — than those in the wealthiest towns. The Tribune also found that residents of towns with majority African-American populations pay a monthly water bill that is 20 percent higher than towns with majority white populations…Please click here for Cecilia Reyes, Patrick M. O’Connell and Ted Gregory’s story in the Tribune.