Illinois American Water completes Village of Sidney water system purchase

American Water subsidiary Illinois American Water has completed the purchase of Village of Sidney water system.

In April last year, the Village of Sidney voted in support of the sale that is valued at $2.3m.

The deal was also approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).

Illinois American Water has been running the water system on a contract basis since October 2019.

The transaction will see the incorporation of the Village of Sidney into the company’s Champaign County District.

The acquisition will increase water customers in the Champaign County service area by nearly 560.

Village president Jason Arrasmith said: “[The water system] offers many community benefits, including a reduction to household water bills.”

“Not only do we have trust in Illinois American Water to ensure quality drinking water, but they are able to decrease local water bills by almost $15 a month. We are pleased about the value they bring to our community.”

The company said it will invest in the modernisation of the Sidney water system. The upgrade will start with water meter replacements, which are expected to begin next month.

Illinois American Water Champaign County District operations superintendent Matthew White said: “Our local team takes a lot of pride in what we do every day. We are honoured to serve Sidney and look forward to expanding our involvement in the community.”

Serving approximately 1.3 million people, Illinois American Water is one of the largest investor-owned water utilities in the US state.