Thirty-seven years ago, a room full of farmers and community leaders in Dieterich, Illinois sat down together and asked a simple question: what does our community need to survive and grow?
The answer was water.
What happened next is the story of EJ Water Cooperative — a story built on neighbors helping neighbors, hard work, and an unshakeable belief that rural Illinois deserves the same access to safe, clean water as anyone else.
It Started With a Single Idea
In May 1988, a local attorney named Hank Stephens stood up at a meeting of the Dieterich Ruritan Club and made a point that would change everything: “You can’t have economic development without water.”
At the time, Western Jasper and Eastern Effingham counties were struggling. Wells were running dry in the summer heat. Families, farms, and small businesses didn’t have the reliable water supply they needed to thrive. The idea of building a regional water system seemed almost impossible — the original plan called for just ten miles of water main.
But the need was real, and the people were ready.
Delbert Mundt, the Ruritan Club president, and a group of area farmers took that idea and ran with it. A steering committee was formed. An informational meeting was held. And a goal was set: 300 members.
Within three months, that goal was reached.
Turning On the Tap
EJ Water Cooperative was incorporated in May of 1989, and the work began in earnest. Even before a single drop of water had been delivered, the board held its first annual members’ meeting in March of 1990 — because from day one, this was a cooperative, and the members were part of every step.
In August of 1993, Phase I was completed. Four hundred meter hookups. One hundred miles of water main across Eastern Effingham and Western Jasper counties. The first water treatment plant. The Island Grove Water Tower. And a “Big Splash” celebration that those in attendance still talk about today.
Rural Illinois had water. And EJ Water was just getting started.
Growing to Serve More Communities
The years that followed were defined by growth — not for growth’s sake, but because the need kept calling.
In June of 1995, the Village of Louisville became EJ Water’s first official community partner, signing a 40-year contract for water service. Phase II broke ground shortly after. Then Phase III. Then more. With each new phase, more families got access to the clean, safe water they needed.
By January of 1999 — just ten years in — EJ Water had grown to 4,600 members. The original water treatment plant had doubled in size. A second well field was under construction. What had once seemed impossible was now just the beginning.
In January of 2004, EJ Water reached a milestone that would have seemed unimaginable in that original Ruritan Club meeting: it became the largest rural water cooperative in the state of Illinois, serving 40 townships, 1,600 miles of mainline, and 4,150 farms and residents across 6 counties.
Building Infrastructure That Lasts
As the cooperative grew, so did its commitment to quality and reliability.
In October of 2010, EJ Water opened the Delbert D. Mundt Water Treatment Plant — a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the growing system’s needs and named in honor of the man whose leadership helped make EJ Water possible. The new plant allowed softened water to reach the west side of the system, a significant upgrade for thousands of members.
In 2013, EJ Water’s hard work in water quality earned national recognition when the cooperative was awarded Illinois’ Best Tasting Water by the American Water Works Association. They did it again in 2015, this time earning the honor from the Illinois Rural Water Association for water treated at the Mundt Plant.
Award-winning water, delivered to rural Illinois. That’s not something that happens by accident — it’s the result of decades of investment, care, and expertise.
Innovation and Partnership
EJ Water has never been content to just keep up — it has consistently led the way.
In 2014, EJ began installing cellular meter readers across the system. The technology was first tested on board members, and within hours it detected a continuous leak at the board president’s home. The board unanimously agreed: every member deserved that protection.
In 2015, EJ partnered with Fayette Water to build an interconnect that brought water to the City of St. Elmo for Pinnacle Foods — helping to create 100 new jobs in the community. Two water cooperatives. One shared mission. One pancake breakfast to celebrate.
In March of 2017, Innovative Wastewater Treatment Cooperative was formed as a subsidiary of EJ Water, expanding the cooperative’s ability to support communities struggling with wastewater challenges. Members voted to make it happen.
And in September of 2017, representatives from EJ Water traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with White House Administration Staff on Infrastructure — sharing what rural Illinois had learned about building sustainable regional water systems and how smaller systems could thrive through partnership.
Recognition on a Global Stage
In 2019, EJ Water’s innovative approach to cross-utility partnerships earned it a spot as a finalist for Digital Company of the Year at the Global Water Awards in London — one of the most prestigious recognitions in the water industry worldwide. That same year, EJ received the US Water Prize in the nonprofit category from the US Water Alliance.
A cooperative started by farmers in Dieterich, Illinois, recognized on the global stage. It’s a remarkable testament to what community-driven innovation can accomplish.
Planning for the Future
EJ Water has never stopped thinking about what comes next.
In 2022, EJ became a founding member of the United Regional Water Cooperative (URWC), formed specifically to address the challenges of aging water infrastructure and rising costs through regional collaboration and shared water treatment.
And in November of 2023, EJ Water completed construction of the EJ Reservoir in Beecher City, Illinois — a 250-million-gallon reservoir that is now a cornerstone of the EJ Reliability Plan, ensuring that even in times of drought, the communities EJ serves will have the water they need.
37 Years Later
Today, EJ Water Cooperative serves over 77,800 people across 14,329 members. We operate 3,257 miles of waterline, two water treatment plants, and a growing list of services that includes wholesale water, wastewater, water lab testing, and contract services to utilities across the region.
We are one of the fastest-growing water systems in Illinois. We are member-owned. And we are still guided by the same values that Delbert Mundt and a group of determined farmers brought to that first meeting in 1989: that rural communities deserve safe, reliable, affordable water — and that when neighbors work together, remarkable things are possible.
Thirty-seven years in, we are more committed than ever to that mission.
Thank you to every member, every partner, every employee, and every community that has been part of this story. The best is still ahead.
Have questions about your EJ Water membership or service? Contact us at ejwater@ejcoop.com or call 217-925-5566.
