What Illinois Rural Water Association does

Illinois Rural Water Association (IRWA) is a non-profit membership association founded in October 1979 and headquartered in Taylorville, Illinois. It serves rural water and wastewater systems across the state of Illinois through training, technical assistance, and regulatory advocacy. As one of 50 state associations that collectively form the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), IRWA operates a federation model that gives its members access to national-level federal advocacy, affinity partner programs, and the Rural Water Loan Fund.

IRWA delivers services through a staff of approximately 17 employees, including Circuit Riders and Wastewater Technicians who provide on-site field-based technical assistance across eight geographic districts. Core service offerings include operator certification training (Classes A-D water and Classes I-IV wastewater), compliance assistance, source water protection planning, energy efficiency assessments (with reported average savings of $8,968 annually per system), rate studies, apprenticeship programs, GPS/GIS asset mapping, sewer video inspection, equipment loan, and e-CCR hosting. Membership is segmented into Voting, Supporting, Specialized Systems, Associate, and S.O.U.P. (Society of Utility Professionals) categories, and IRWA is a registered lobbying organization at both state and federal levels.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues (billed annually on July 1), fee-for-service technical offerings (e.g., $125/year CCR hosting for members, $500 minimum video inspection), and conference/event revenue from three annual conferences plus the IPWSOA Conference. Distribution is community-led and field-driven: services are delivered via direct on-site visits by Circuit Riders and Wastewater Technicians, classroom training sessions across the state, and a digital layer of self-serve resources hosted on ilrwa.org. The organization is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors elected from among member systems, with day-to-day operations led by the Executive Director.

Name

Illinois Rural Water Association

Legal name

Illinois Rural Water Association

Website

https://ilrwa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Illinois Rural Water Association is a non-profit membership association providing training, on-site technical assistance, and regulatory advocacy for rural water and wastewater systems across Illinois. Founded in 1979, it operates as one of 50 state associations under the National Rural Water Association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Utility Training and Technical Assistance

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins) (EUANAKAJ)

Keywords

• Water operator training
• Wastewater technical assistance
• Rural utility certification
• Water system advocacy
• Utility mapping services

Headquarters

HQ city

Taylorville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Voting, Supporting, Specialized Systems, Associate, and S.O.U.P. member categories. Dues are invoiced on July 1 annually for the membership year.
2. Training and Certification Fees: Fees for certification overview training, classroom-style training sessions for credit hours toward water and wastewater operator licenses, and continuing education programs.
3. Conference Fees: Registration fees for Annual Conference, Northern Conference, Administrative Conference, and IPWSOA Conference. Includes exhibitor fees and sponsorship opportunities.
4. e-CCR Hosting: Consumer Confidence Report hosting service on IRWA's website. Fee is $125/year for members and $175/year for non-members.
5. GIS/Asset Mapping Services: GPS and GIS mapping services with set charges per feature. Members receive 30% automatic discount on per-feature pricing.
6. Video Inspection Services: Sewer video inspection service with set minimum maintenance fee ($500 for members up to 500 feet) plus per-foot charges for footage above minimum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Illinois Rural Water Association is a non-profit membership organization that provides training, certification, technical assistance, and advocacy to rural water and wastewater utilities across Illinois. It also delivers fee-based services such as GIS/asset mapping, video inspection, and e-CCR (Consumer Confidence Report) hosting, and operates an annual conference for utility professionals.

Product overview

Illinois Rural Water Association is a non-profit organization that does not operate a unified software platform but rather provides a portfolio of member services focused on training, technical assistance, and regulatory compliance for rural water and wastewater systems in Illinois. The core offerings include the Circuit Rider/Wastewater Technician field assistance program, Source Water Protection planning, Energy Efficiency Assessments, Training and Certification programs, Apprenticeship programs, Compliance Assistance, and CCR Hosting. Supporting services include Equipment Loans, GPS/GIS Mapping, Municipal Website Services, Rate Studies, Video Inspection, Emergency Preparedness Planning, and annual Conferences. Publications include the quarterly Water Ways magazine, bi-monthly TAB newsletter, and annual Industry Contact Book. These services are coordinated through IRWA's membership structure (Voting, Supporting, Associate, and S.O.U.P. members) and delivered primarily through on-site assistance, classroom training, and online resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Operator Training and Certification Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Average projected savings of $8,968 annually for systems receiving energy efficiency assessments

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Rural Water AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRWA is one of 50 state associations forming the National Rural Water Association (NRWA). NRWA provides advocacy at the federal level with four full-time lobbyists and one full-time environmental engineer in Washington D.C. IRWA and its members benefit from NRWA affinity partner programs including Rural Water Loan Fund, Ford/Chrysler Fleet Program, ServLine insurance, Wellness Works health benefits, IRIS mass notification system, 120Water compliance solutions, and Rural Water Impact website services.
• Ford Motor Company and Chrysler GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFleet discount partnership created through NRWA combining buying power of 31,000 utility members to provide reduced fleet pricing on utility vehicles. Incentive pricing is deducted off factory invoice. Systems must be current association members.
• ServLineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWater line and sewer line insurance program backed by Hanover Insurance Company covering water loss with no deductible and repairs/replacement of customer water and sewer lines. Available to NRWA members at preferred rates.
• Wellness WorksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth benefits program providing comprehensive and affordable health benefits option to meet ACA compliance requirements. Available to NRWA members through Affinity Benefits.
• Illinois EPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRWA maintains an excellent working relationship with the Illinois EPA for operator certification, compliance assistance, and technical assistance coordination. IRWA staff assist members with navigating Drinking Water Watch, operator certification database, compliance reporting, and source water protection programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Rural Water Association: Federation of all 50 state rural water associations including IRWA. Operates as the national umbrella providing federal advocacy, training resources, and affinity partnerships. IRWA is a state chapter of NRWA, making it both an affiliate and the closest comparable organization.
• Water Environment Federation: International nonprofit providing technical education, training, and advocacy for water quality professionals. Complementary to IRWA with stronger focus on wastewater treatment science and operator certification across all utility sizes.
• American Water Works Association: Largest international nonprofit scientific and educational association for water professionals. Overlaps with IRWA on training, certification, and advocacy but serves utilities of all sizes nationwide and globally rather than focusing specifically on rural small systems.

Direct peers

• Indiana Rural Water Association: Neighboring state rural water association with identical mission: providing training, technical assistance, Circuit Rider services, and advocacy for rural water/wastewater systems in Indiana. Same operational model, revenue structure, and member segments as IRWA.
• Texas Rural Water Association: Larger-scale state rural water association serving Texas utilities with similar training, technical assistance, and advocacy programs. Comparable service portfolio but operates in a much larger geographic territory with a more complex member base.
• Wisconsin Rural Water Association: Midwest state rural water association providing parallel services to Wisconsin small water/wastewater systems, including training, certification, technical assistance, and conferences. Same funding model through membership dues and similar staffing structure.
• Missouri Rural Water Association: Neighboring state rural water association with identical service portfolio including Circuit Rider program, training, technical assistance, and conferences for small Missouri water/wastewater systems. Directly comparable structure and operational model to IRWA.
• Kentucky Rural Water Association: State rural water association providing Circuit Rider technical assistance, training, rate studies, and compliance assistance to Kentucky small water and wastewater systems. Same member segments, revenue model, and core programs as IRWA.

Emerging players

• Rural Community Assistance Partnership: National nonprofit network providing training, technical assistance, and capacity building to small rural communities on water, wastewater, and housing infrastructure. Overlaps with IRWA's mission but addresses a broader community development scope beyond water/wastewater.

Regional players

• Illinois Section AWWA: State chapter of AWWA serving Illinois water professionals with training, conferences, and networking. Operates in same Illinois geography as IRWA but serves larger municipal and investor-owned utilities rather than rural small systems specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ILRWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ILRWA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-rural-water-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Rural Water Association