Public water system · IL1710010
ActiveExeter-Merritt Water Coop
At a glance
Exeter-Merritt Water Coop (PWSID IL1710010) is an active community water system in Scott County, Illinois. It reports serving 820 people through 328 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
820
Service connections
328
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Exeter-Merritt Water Coop compare with other water systems in Scott County?
By EPA's size categories, Exeter-Merritt Water Coop is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Scott County has 7 active public water systems, and Exeter-Merritt Water Coop is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 29% above the county average of 635 people per system, and accounts for 18% of the 4,447 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Illinois, the 3,872 active systems average 3,204 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Exeter-Merritt Water Coop is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Illinois has 1,773 active community water systems, 46% of the state's 3,872 active systems. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 348 Illinois systems (9%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Exeter-Merritt Water Coop?
EPA lists Exeter-Merritt Water Coop as privately owned. The IL state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 3 of the 7 active systems in Scott County (43%) are also privately owned.
Does Exeter-Merritt Water Coop have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2025. The violations listed here began between July 1995 and March 2025. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting, 5 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (6 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2010-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2010-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1995-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1995-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Exeter-Merritt Water Coop: frequently asked questions
Who runs Exeter-Merritt Water Coop?
Exeter-Merritt Water Coop (PWSID IL1710010) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Exeter-Merritt Water Coop serve?
Exeter-Merritt Water Coop reports serving 820 people through 328 service connections in Scott County, Illinois.
Where does Exeter-Merritt Water Coop get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Exeter-Merritt Water Coop have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2025. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Exeter-Merritt Water Coop's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Exeter-Merritt Water Coop's water quality report?
As a community water system, Exeter-Merritt Water Coop must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Scott County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | Scott | 1,589 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bluffs | Scott | 748 | Community | Groundwater |
| Scott County Rural Water Co-Op | Scott | 493 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Alsey-Glasgow Water Commission | Scott | 475 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Manchester | Scott | 297 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Evandys Boatel | Scott | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Exeter-Merritt Water Coop, PWSID IL1710010, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/exeter-merritt-water-coop-il1710010 (data as of October 1, 2026).