Public water system · IL0495150
ActiveLake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc..
At a glance
Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. (PWSID IL0495150) is an active community water system in Effingham County, Illinois. It reports serving 3,352 people through 1,140 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,352
Service connections
1,140
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. compare with other water systems in Effingham County?
By EPA's size categories, Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Effingham County has 14 active public water systems, and Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 1,721 people per system, and accounts for 14% of the 24,087 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 Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. is about half of 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 surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 619 Illinois systems (16%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc..?
EPA lists Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. 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. 5 of the 14 active systems in Effingham County (36%) are also privately owned.
Does Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005. The violations listed here began between July 1993 and July 2005. By type: 2 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 of them). EPA lists 2 as archived and 1 as resolved. 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. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1993-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 3 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.
Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc..: frequently asked questions
Who runs Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc..?
Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. (PWSID IL0495150) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. serve?
Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. reports serving 3,352 people through 1,140 service connections in Effingham County, Illinois.
Where does Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005. 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 Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc..'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. EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc..'s water quality report?
As a community water system, Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. 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 Effingham County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effingham | Effingham | 12,252 | Community | Surface water |
| Altamont | Effingham | 2,300 | Community | Surface water |
| Teutopolis | Effingham | 2,018 | Community | Groundwater |
| Heartville PWD | Effingham | 1,092 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Dieterich | Effingham | 900 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Ej Water-Watson | Effingham | 754 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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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, “Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.., PWSID IL0495150, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/lake-sara-area-water-co-op-inc-il0495150 (data as of October 1, 2026).