Illinois American Water Acquires Village of Hardin Water and Wastewater Systems

HARDIN, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of the Village of Hardin water and wastewater systems. The newly acquired system adds approximately 435 water and 405 wastewater customers to the company’s southern Illinois service area. The Village of Hardin is located near Illinois American Water’s Jerseyville operations.

“Our team is excited and ready to serve the Village of Hardin as we expand our footprint across our Southern Illinois service area,” said Justin Ladner, President of Illinois American Water. “Since 2020 we have had the privilege to add over 26,000 new customer connections and partner with over 10 communities across Illinois through acquisitions. We are excited to include Village of Hardin to our customer base.”

The Village of Hardin voted in favor of the sale in May 2021. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) recently approved the sale for $3.3 million.

According to Village of Hardin Mayor Dave Hurley the sale of the water and wastewater systems to Illinois American Water, “will relieve the Village of the water and wastewater responsibilities.” He continued, “Residents and businesses will benefit from a larger scale, efficiently operated water and wastewater utility that brings expertise to our aging systems. Illinois American Water has a proven track record of meeting or surpassing water quality standards.”

Illinois American Water plans to invest approximately $3 million in the first five years of ownership to upgrade the Village of Hardin water and wastewater systems. Work will include replacing water meters, installing a sanitary pump station and force wastewater main. Generators will be installed for increased resiliency and continued service in the event of a power outage. Upgrades to the water and wastewater treatment plants will support safe, reliable service. In addition, Safety and security upgrades will be completed including the implementation of automation for operational efficiency.

Ethan Steinacher, operations senior manager for Illinois American Water’s Central Division said, “The Village of Hardin is celebrating their 175-year anniversary and the community continues positive progress. We look forward to serving our new customers and being a good neighbor and responsible corporate citizen. We appreciate the Village’s trust and confidence in our team.”

New customers will receive an Illinois American Water welcome packet in the mail. This packet includes information about online account management, billing and more. To learn more about Illinois American Water and hear from communities the company has partnered with, visit Partnering with Us under About Us at www.illinoisamwater.com.

About Illinois American Water – Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER WAS RANKED HIGHEST IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH LARGE WATER UTILITIES IN THE MIDWEST THREE YEARS IN A ROW!
For J.D. Power 2022 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.