For decades, about 350 people who live in the Village of Lisle, a suburb about 30 miles west of Chicago, have not had access to Village water. Over the years, the infrastructure has been owned by various entities. Now, it's owned by Illinois American Water, a private company.

Recently, IAW has been replacing water pipe infrastructure and has asked for and received rate increases from the Illinois Commerce Commission. As a result, the homeowners say their water bills are soaring.

One man who spoke at a Committee of the Whole meeting last night in Lisle said his bill has gone up from $70 to $140 in the 12-and-a-half years he's lived there. "I don't have an in-ground pool. I don't water my lawn. I don't have balloon fights and water gun fights. How the heck does it double, go up that much?"

Other homeowners are concerned about the health of trees on their blocks in this Lisle neighborhood of Oak View. Lisle is known as the Arboretum Village.

Laurel Meyers told the Mayor and board members last night what an arborist shared with her recently about the health of trees in her community, "They're dying because of a lack of water. So, he recommended that we water our trees. How much is that going to cost us to water 50- and 60-year-old trees for an hour once a week so that they don't die?"

Another homeowner later shared that she knows how much extra it would cost after having some landscaping done in her yard and was told to water it. Her normal bills are $85 - $90 a month. "My bill was almost $150. So that's what it costs you to water for part of one day. It costs you $60."

At the meeting, the board discussed 16 alternative options to help homeowners get relief outlined in a draft document prepared by staff.

Village Manager Jeff Cook said, "At the staff level, we're certainly sympathetic to the residents in Oak View."

Residents like Ed Stanley, who's lived in the same house in that community since 1966.

"I don't run my dishwasher but once, maybe twice a week," he said.

He's been battling the water bills that are higher for him than for most others in Lisle for decades without much progress.

He lives on a fixed income and adjusts his lifestyle to be able to afford the water.

"I don't water my lawn. I've done that and I can run my bill up $50 without blinking an eye."

Down the street, the Srails are also fed up with paying higher bills.

"It's finally time somebody takes a stance in this community and the board takes a stance," said Susan Srail.

The draft document showed bills for Oak View homeowners are about 300% - 400% higher than for residents who buy their water from the Village.

"I want equal treatment for the people who live here. They deserve to be treated the same as the rest of the residents in the Village," she said.

The two-hour committee meeting ended with ideas to dig deeper into in hopes of ultimately bringing some financial relief.

The Village Manager is now tasked with looking into the feasibility of options, including:

• Hooking up some residents to the Village water system
• Partnering with others to pursue changes to state law and Illinois Commerce Commission regulations
• Using eminent domain to provide Village water to Oak View residents
• Developing and finding funding for a rebate/subsidy program to help ease the burden of the high bills
• Promoting discounts already offered by Illinois American Water to residents who are struggling financially

In a statement, Cook said, "Once additional information is prepared regarding the long-term and short-term initiatives, Mayor Mullen expressed interest in hosting an informational meeting in the open house format, paired with a survey to gauge resident support."

Mayor Mary Jo Mullen last night cautioned that none of the alternatives are a quick fix, "It's going to take a little time to develop these options a little further, give you something good to digest to be able to respond to on a survey, but that's what I see as happening next."

CBS News Chicago has reported on this issue in Lisle before. We reached out once again to Illinois American Water and received a very similar statement:

"Illinois American Water's focus is on providing safe, clean and reliable water and wastewater service to our customers and serves approximately 350 direct water customers in Lisle.  Our rates are based on a cost-of-service study reviewed by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and ICC staff.  Comparing water rates from Illinois American Water to those of a government-owned water system is like comparing apples to oranges. Illinois American Water rates are reviewed in depth by the ICC and ICC staff, and all other intervening parties to a rate case.  The rates of a government-owned water system do not receive the same scrutiny, regulatory review, approval or oversight, and often can be subsidized by other city services, programs, or taxes, enabling rates to remain artificially low, often neglecting needed infrastructure improvements."

IAW did not comment specifically on any of the alternatives under further consideration by the Village, but did outline a number of options to help customers pay their bills, including payment arrangements, budget billing, H2O Help to Others Program, and the Income-Based Discount Program. You can find more about each of those options here.