Liz Chaplin, a candidate for DuPage County Board, District 2, is currently a DuPage Water Commission Board member. I wrote a bit on her background here. Her campaign just sent out the following press release on fire and water safety for DuPage residents:
“Why in one of the most affluent counties in the country is personal safety an issue? Safety should not be a service or utility controlled by a fiefdom of municipal leaders and charter customers.
Folks living in the unincorporated areas of DuPage County have the same rights as any other residents when it comes to fire protection and a safe water supply.
The Charter Members of the DuPage Water Commission claim ownership to Lake Michigan Water. They pick and choose who will receive lake water and then demand annexation and high connection costs. If you live in a municipality that did not originally join the Commission the costs are also high. In fact the costs are so high it was cheaper for West Chicago to build its own multi-million dollar treatment facility, rather than join the DuPage Water Commission.
It is shameful that the DuPage Water Commission collects approximately 30 million dollars a year in sales tax revenue, yet homes are burning down and connection to a safe water supply is still a complicated and frustrating ordeal for our unincorporated residents.
The original concept of the DuPage Water Commission was essential in order to have the system built. DuPage County is not the same place it was 20 years ago. The issue of safe water and fire protection will not be resolved until the structure of the Commission is changed. We need a unified body to handle day to day operations and distribution of Lake Michigan Water, one that is not controlled by greed.
Unless elected officials keep an open mind and seriously consider a change in structure to the DuPage Water Commission progress will be stifled and the residents will continue to bear the burden.
Liz Chaplin
DuPage Water Commissioner
DuPage County Board Candidate District 2″
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