Illinois Communities Mobilize to Block Corporate Takeover of Local Water Systems

For more than a decade, Illinois towns have fought to keep water utilities under public control, fearing that consolidation often precedes privatization. In Rosiclare, Mayor Roy Tolbert sold the city’s water and sewer systems to Illinois American Water in 2020, citing higher future costs if the town borrowed money. Activists such as Sage Lintner, a water-district operator, warned that a June meeting of 153 districts was a “grooming” opportunity for the corporate buyer and helped spark public outrage that canceled the event.

Meanwhile, in Carmi, a citizen-led campaign led by printer Rudy Rudolph used viral videos and records requests to pressure the council, which voted unanimously to reject the company's bid. The movement also prompted Jackson County officials to pass a resolution opposing water privatization and White County to impose a moratorium on data-center development. Advocates cite federal funding shortfalls and argue for public-public partnerships as an alternative to corporate control.