Chicago water tax could affect laundromat customers

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois laundromat owners are taking on a plan to tax the amount of water Chicago residents use.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed a tax that could raise the average water bill 70 percent over the next five years.

The Illinois Coin Laundry Association said the tax unfairly targets low-income residents.

Laundromat owners worry they may have to pass that bill on to customers who are already struggling to find extra dollars in their budgets.

"They may only be able to come in at the beginning of the month or closer to the end of the month and try and get all of their laundry done. So, even though it may sound like a small impact, it's a huge impact when you're on limited dollars," Kathy Gwin-Ester, a laundromat owner, said.

The group is urging customers to contact their aldermen and tell them the tax is unacceptable.