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Biloxi, MSWater bills and shutoffsYour first public hearing5The right to basic needs

Homes up to 50%. Businesses 17%.

What’s going on

Biloxi, Mississippi’s City Council tabled a vote Tuesday on a water rate increase so it could consider other options, WLOX reports. The proposal would raise residential water rates 30 to 50 percent and business rates 17 percent. WLOX says Biloxi has been charging less for water than it costs to provide, and state law requires systems to keep reserves for emergencies and maintenance. Ward 6 Councilman Kenny Glavan said the plan “puts a heavy burden on our everyday working citizens.” No new vote date was given.

Our take

Pipes cost what they cost, and somebody pays. The real question is who, and how much. Here, households would carry a bigger jump than businesses. That’s exactly what a tabled vote is for. If you’re in Biloxi, ask for the bill impact in dollars before the next vote. Anywhere else, find out when your next rate change is coming and who it lands on.

Read the original reporting: WLOX

What you can do

1. In Biloxi? Ask before the next voteGet the words

   To: the Biloxi City Council. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

   Hi, I live at [your address]. Before the council votes on the water rate increase: what would the change mean in dollars for an average household’s monthly bill, why would residential rates rise more than business rates, and what bill assistance will be available? Please answer in writing. Thank you.Copy the words
2. Ask about bill helpGet the words

   To: your water utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

   Hi, I’m a customer at [your address]. What bill assistance, payment plans or shutoff protections do you offer, and is a rate increase being proposed? Thank you.Copy the words
3. Share this storyShare

The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on Water bills and shutoffs. We’ll bring the data.

Today’s Action · two minutes

Ask about bill help

Two minutes, one email. Rate hikes and shutoff pauses are both in the news today. Know your utility’s bill help before you need it.

To: your water utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

Hi, I’m a customer at [your address]. What bill assistance, payment plans or shutoff protections do you offer, and is a rate increase being proposed? Thank you.Copy the words

1. Los Angeles, CAWater bills and shutoffs5The right to basic needs

   No shutoffs through December.

   LADWP and Mayor Karen Bass say shutoffs for Los Angeles customers who can’t afford high bills will pause through the end of the year. Customers still owe what they used; LADWP offers 0% interest payment agreements.

   Our take, and what you can do

   What’s going on

   The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Mayor Karen Bass announced Tuesday that shutoffs for residents who can’t afford high bills will pause through the end of December, NBC Los Angeles reports. The utility says bills are up 7.8% this year because usage rose, not because power costs more. Interim General Manager David Hanson said LADWP will offer agreements at 0% interest, and customers still have to pay for what they used. Starting in November, every residential customer gets usage information. It’s unclear what happens after December.

   Our take

   A pause isn’t forgiveness. The bill is still there in January. If you’re behind anywhere, what protects you is a written payment plan before a shutoff notice, not after. Ask your utility what protections exist, and how long they last.

   Read the original reporting: NBC Los Angeles

   What you can do

   1. Ask about bill helpGet the words

      To: your water utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

      Hi, I’m a customer at [your address]. What bill assistance, payment plans or shutoff protections do you offer, and is a rate increase being proposed? Thank you.Copy the words
   2. Find your local officialsOpens the tool
   3. Share this storyShare

   The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on Water bills and shutoffs. We’ll bring the data.
2. Box Elder County, UTData centers and our waterSettlements and claims4The right to be heard

   987 acre-feet a year. Close to 200 protests.

   Kevin O’Leary’s Box Elder County, Utah, data center project filed a new water rights change application, projecting about 987 acre-feet a year in net depletion. Close to 200 people had logged protests by Monday afternoon.

   Our take, and what you can do

   What’s going on

   The developer of a Box Elder County, Utah, data center project backed by Kevin O’Leary filed a new water rights change application Thursday, its third try this year after two were withdrawn, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. The project plans 11 data center clusters and 7.5 gigawatts of power generation. Its engineering report projects diverting about 1,215 acre-feet a year at full buildout, returning about 229, for a net depletion of about 987 acre-feet a year from Salt Wells Spring Stream. The developer claims more water will reach the Great Salt Lake. Close to 200 people had logged protests by Monday afternoon.

   Our take

   When a data center says it will help a lake, ask for the meter, not the model. The application itself admits it’s unclear how much water will reach the lake. A protest period is when residents get a say, and close to 200 people used it. Wherever a data center is proposed near you, ask for the gallons in writing before the vote.

   Read the original reporting: The Salt Lake Tribune

   What you can do

   1. Ask for the data center’s water numbersGet the words

      To: your county commission. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

      Hi, I live at [your address]. For the data center proposed or operating in our county: how many gallons a day will it use at full build, from which source, who meters it, and is any of it covered by a nondisclosure agreement? Please answer in writing before the vote. Thank you.Copy the words
   2. See what’s planned near youOpen
   3. Share this storyShare

   The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on Data centers and our water. We’ll bring the data.
3. Duluth, MNFailing infrastructureWho’s accountable?1The right to safety

   A pressure drop. A boil order.

   Duluth, Minnesota, put parts of the upper Woodland and Kenwood neighborhoods on a boil water advisory after a brief but significant drop in water pressure. The city is testing and says it’s in effect until further notice.

   Our take, and what you can do

   What’s going on

   The City of Duluth, Minnesota, issued a boil water advisory Tuesday night for parts of the upper Woodland and Kenwood neighborhoods after what officials called a brief but significant drop in water pressure, Northern News Now reports. The area includes Woodland Avenue above East Anoka Street and stretches of Howard Gnesen Road. Residents should boil water at a full, rolling boil for at least one minute, or use bottled water, for drinking, ice, brushing teeth and food. Bathing and laundry are fine. The city is testing and will release results.

   Our take

   Low pressure can let contaminants into the pipes, which is why cities issue these as a precaution. The city is testing, and that’s right. The part people miss: ask when the results are posted and where, so you know the all-clear is based on data. Save your utility’s alert page before you need it.

   Read the original reporting: Northern News Now

   What you can do

   1. Ask where test results are postedGet the words

      To: your city or utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

      Hi, I live at [your address]. When a boil water advisory is issued, where do you post the test results that lift it, and how do residents sign up for alerts? Please answer in writing. Thank you.Copy the words
   2. Look up your system’s violationsOpens the tool
   3. Check what’s in your waterEnter your ZIP

   The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on Failing infrastructure. We’ll bring the data.

Today’s water, by right

Every story is filed under one of the eight consumer rights. Today’s edition touched 3 of the eight; each glass fills with its stories. This count feeds the AquaRights Index™.

1. 1
   The right to safety
2. 0
   The right to be informed
3. 0
   The right to choose
4. 1
   The right to be heard
5. 2
   The right to basic needs
6. 0
   The right to redress
7. 0
   The right to education
8. 0
   The right to a healthy environment

Guardian Season · Mar 15 – Jun 5, 2027

Spring 2027 Guardian Season opens on World Consumer Rights Day.

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Sign the Guardian Declaration and get The Right to Know, the eight rights behind every glass of water, plus The Daily Drip every weekday morning.

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