Welcome to Chicago Water Wars
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LVEJO firmly believes that privatization of the commons (what belongs to all of us) is a social
justice issue; we oppose any privatization of public resources, from public transit to education
to health care to water.
In response to Mayor Daley’s interest in privatizing Chicago’s water system, LVEJO has
launched a campaign to keep our water in public hands, and defend everyone’s right to
safe, clean and affordable water.
Please visit Chicago Water Wars
for a more detailed explanation of the problems and potential answer
What It Means for You – Defend the Commons!
Water is a part of the Commons; it belongs to everyone, and should not be sold off to private companies to make a profit. As more and more aspects of society are privatized – schools, roads, energy, public space – we the people lose control, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Water is one resource that we can’t afford to lose – we all need water to live, and it belongs to the people, not Mayor Daley or multinational water corporations!
When a city hands over control of their water system to a private company, the public loses their ability to have a say in how local water resources are used. The company may decide to sell the city’s water to bottled water companies and have it trucked away for a profit. It may expand the service area into neighboring suburbs, going where the money is, contributing to sprawl, and investing less in urban, poor and working class communities. Water privatization also introduces a profit motive into how water is used: you use more water, you make more money. This logic goes entirely counter to water conservation, which will be critical to ensuring that people have access to water in the future.
In order to defend our right to safe, clean, and affordable water, LVEJO has launched a campaign fighting water privatization in Chicago. Organizing meetings are happening regularly, and we welcome the participation of other community groups from around the city. Watch for upcoming events and ways to get involved, or contact water@lvejo.org or to arrange for a workshop, presentation, or film screening in your community!
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