LSAWC Responsibilities

Procure bulk water for use by water coop.

Provide a system to distribute water to your site.

Maintain the distribution system up to and including the metering device at the member’s site to insure both the system and the water delivered meets safety standards established by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

Establish a budget process to set retail rates commensurate with operational costs.

Invoice individual member’s metered water consumption.

Collect revenue generated by invoices.

Conduct day-to-day business operations deemed necessary by the Board to carryout the above-described activities and other business deemed appropriate and/or necessary.

LSAWC - A brief history

The Lake Sara Area Water Cooperative (LSAWC) traces its roots back nearly fifty years. LSAWC was incorporated in April of 1972 as a not-for-profit organization intended to provide water to area residents. With the creation of Lake Sara in the late 1950s, the population in the area surrounding the lake slowly began to grow. Prior to the establishment of LSAWC, area residents were largely on their own to obtain water, from individual wells or other small water systems. With the formation of LSAWC, residents would have a reliable, safe, and affordable supply of water, greatly enhancing the quality of life for residents of this growing community. 

The first Board of Directors for the Co-op included:
Charles Gouveia, President.
Monte Groothius, Secretary/Treasurer.
Donald Rentfrow, Vice President.
Glenn Montgomery.
Maurice Wente.

This Board had the daunting task of developing policies and procedures needed to satisfy the permitting and administrative requirements associated with qualifying as a not-for-profit water supplier. They went about securing the necessary contracts to purchase water and build the infrastructure that was required to distribute it to homes in the area.

The board initiated what would become a long affiliation with the City of Effingham, contracting with the city to purchase water in March of 1973. That relationship continues to this day, through various contract extensions, renewals, and re-negotiated terms, LSAWC still purchases water from the City of Effingham and additionally has back-up supply arrangements with other entities if the need should arise.

After obtaining a source of water, the next step was building and expanding the means to deliver that water to members. LSAWC secured necessary funds to purchase and install piping, pumps, meters, and other infrastructure for water distribution through a $508,000 loan from FHA in June 1974. The Board also developed a budget with rates projected to sustain a reliable operation and to repay the loan- all of which had to meet the requirements of FHA. Managing the finances of the co-op continues to be one of the most critical activities of the Board.

 The following year, during January 1975, LSAWC purchased the Holkenbrink water system, a small system serving about 90 customers, which brought total membership to 330 members receiving water from LSAWC. Since that time LSAWC has continued to grow with the community and now serves about 1,300 members. 

From its beginning, Lake Sara Area Water Cooperative has depended on the efforts of its members to serve on the Board, provide input and assist in communicating issues in order to sustain and improve the operation of the co-op.