The drought of 1977 forced landowners living east of Woodward to explore new water service options after their private wells went dry. These individuals researched and obtained an FmHA loan in 1978 and received funding to make their endeavor possible in 1981. By that time, 640 users had contracted for service. Construction of the original project was completed in 1983 and included the treatment plant south of Woodward. Since that time, Xenia Rural Water District has grown to become a 9,000 member water service provider and has added a second water treatment facility north of Stratford. Along with this new facility’s capacity to produce more than six million gallons of water per day, it also houses a certified laboratory to perform water testing and analysis for the District and surrounding areas.

In 1991, Xenia Rural Water District was organized under Chapter 357A of the Iowa Code. This Chapter is a governmental body which is governed by a board of directors who are elected by the participating members of the District. This type of water district is established by the county boards of supervisors. The District receives funding from USDA Rural Development as well as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).

In 2002, Xenia Rural Water District expanded its services to include wastewater management. The District currently manages the wastewater lagoons for the Ortonville Business/Industrial Park in Dallas County and Country View Estates Care Facility in Guthrie County. In an effort to further develop our services, we perform administrative services for three communities by billing their residents’ sewer and recycling charges along with their water usage.