https://illinoisfoia.org/exemptions/7-1-x/ 2026-08-21T00:00:00Z https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2026-pac-94532/ 2026-08-21T00:00:00Z

A citizen asked the City of Chicago for maps showing where storm drains and catch basins are located. The City refused, and the Attorney General's office agreed, saying that releasing this information could help criminals target infrastructure and endanger public safety. This means the City can keep those specific records secret.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-81197/ 2024-08-13T00:00:00Z

A resident asked the Village of Woodridge for maps showing the exact locations of water shutoff valves for several streets. The Village refused to provide the maps, and the Attorney General's office agreed, ruling that the records are exempt from disclosure to protect the security of the water utility infrastructure. This means the Village does not have to release these specific maps to the public.

https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-77360/ 2023-09-27T00:00:00Z

This determination addresses whether a public body properly withheld precise location data for Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) points under section 7(1)(x) of FOIA, which exempts maps and records regarding the location of utility-owned transmission, storage, or treatment facilities. The Public Access Bureau concluded that the public body did not violate FOIA by denying requests for a GIS shapefile and CSV file containing exact CSO point locations, even though a less precise map of the same points w