City of Harvey Water Affordability Analysis

Building on a body of work aimed at addressing water affordability in northeastern Illinois, Metropolitan Planning Council and Elevate, with support from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, entered into a limited partnership with the City of Harvey for a pro bono technical assistance project.   

The project includes analysis of the City’s water billing data to understand the scope of water billing, debt, and bill burden. This quantitative analysis is supplemented by interviews with local stakeholders including residents and municipal staff to gather experiential data related to the City’s water and sewer service.  

This report provides staff and municipal officials in the City of Harvey with an overview of water affordability issues identified through our analysis. It includes key findings and recommendations to guide future water rate discussions and the adoption of affordability-based programs and policies, ensuring they meet the needs of both the City and its ratepayers.