Skokie trustees have approved a 15% increase to village water bills, a hike that will fully take effect in October and is directly tied to the catastrophic water main break that flooded homes, streets and garages across the village last year. The increase raises the minimum quarterly water bill by $11.39 per household, with the rate for water billed after October 31 climbing to $87.82 per 1,000 cubic feet.
The rate hike, first reported by the Chicago Tribune, will roll out in phases beginning in August, with village officials planning to spend $26 million over the next year on capital and operational expenses, according to village documents cited by the Tribune. The paper reports the funds will finance water, sewer, lead line, equipment and flood control expenditures, per Skokie’s finance director. Even with the increase, Skokie’s water rates remain low among peer communities, the Tribune notes.
A Main Break That Sent the Village Into Emergency Mode
The rate increase traces back to a 36-inch water main that ruptured in Skokie in February 2025, an event that left hundreds of residents without reliable drinking water and sent the village into a state of emergency, according to the Tribune’s reporting. Hoodline previously reported on the initial break at East Prairie Road and Emerson Street, which caused flooding, icy roads and a boil water order. The break also forced local school districts, including Skokie-Morton Grove District 69 and Niles Township High School District 219, to cancel classes or shift to remote learning, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
The disruption spread beyond Skokie’s borders. Because Skokie purchases treated municipal water from the City of Evanston rather than pumping from Lake Michigan directly, the pressure loss rippled through the interconnected regional network, according to the Arlington Cardinal. That forced neighboring Evanston to issue its own boil water order for its 6th Ward and parts of its 7th Ward, as reported by The Daily Northwestern…