Since 1989, EJ Water Cooperative has been more than just a water utility provider — we’ve been a cornerstone of rural community development across Illinois. What began as a grassroots effort by community leaders has grown into the largest rural water cooperative in Illinois, demonstrating how collective action can transform entire regions.
Building Strong Foundations for Growth
Our mission goes beyond delivering safe, high-quality water. We’re dedicated to helping families, communities, and businesses grow while fostering economic development. This commitment has remained unchanged since our founding, even as we’ve expanded to serve thousands of members across 19 counties.
The impact is tangible. When we partnered with Fayette Water in 2015 to build an interconnect system, we helped provide water to the City of St. Elmo for Pinnacle Foods and supported the creation of 100 new jobs in the St. Elmo area. This project exemplifies how strategic water infrastructure investments can directly translate to economic opportunities for local families.
Innovative Solutions for Rural Challenges
Rural communities face unique challenges that urban areas rarely encounter. Water utilities in rural areas contend with higher costs of water quality treatment, small user bases spread over larger distances, poverty in the communities they serve, and difficulty finding trained water plant operators. EJ Water has tackled these challenges head-on through innovative approaches and regional cooperation.
Our treatment plants can produce 4.5 million gallons of water a day for area residents and businesses, ensuring reliable supply for current needs and future growth. Our investment in cutting-edge technology, like smart meters which are read via cell signal, demonstrates our commitment to improving service while helping members save money by detecting leaks early.
A Model for Sustainable Rural Development
Our approach to community development has gained national recognition. In 2017, representatives from EJ Water met with White House Administration Staff to discuss how smaller water systems could achieve long-term sustainability through partnerships—a testament to our innovative model’s effectiveness.
The recognition continued in 2019 when we were honored as a finalist for Digital Company of the Year at the Global Water Awards in London and received the US Water Prize in the nonprofit category. These accolades reflect not just our operational excellence, but our role as a catalyst for rural economic development.
Looking Forward
Today, EJ Water serves over 14,600 residents across 19 counties with more than 3,300 miles of water mains. Our recent completion of the Reservoir outside of Beecher City, with a capacity of 250 million gallons, helps to ensure we’ll continue supporting community growth even during challenging conditions like droughts.
As we look to the future, our commitment remains the same: providing reliable, safe water service while actively supporting the economic vitality of the rural communities we serve. Every mile of water main we install, every treatment plant we build, and every partnership we forge is designed with one goal in mind — EJ Water Cooperative: improving the quality of life, the cooperative way.
