Virginia Hill Water Supply Corporation, the first member-owned rural water supply in Henderson County, traces its origin to an organizational meeting held on January 30, 1964 in the Virginia Hill Community south of Athens. There were thirteen applicants for membership and service at that time. In July 1964, the Corporation was Chartered by the Secretary of State of the State of Texas. Five directors were named to conduct the business of the Corporation. The Board of Directors were then authorized to obtain funding from the Farmers Home Administration in the amount of $57,000.00 to construct the first well and treatment plant near Highway 19 South and lay service lines to serve the first 59 members.
In 1978, funding in excess of $500,000.00 was obtained from the Farmers Home Administration to construct a well and treatment plant in the Baxter community and lay service lines to members in the Pine Grove, New York, Larue and Baxter communities. By the end of that year, there were 412 members. In September 1992, the Corporation became debt free. In May 1999 a well and treatment plant was constructed to service the Larue community.
As of January 1, 2022, the Corporation is serving 1,366 service connections and operating and maintaining six deep wells, three treatment plants, over 240 miles of water line and six storage tanks (with a capacity of 402,000 gallons) with a value of over $4,000,000. The Corporation is regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and governed by a seven member Board of Directors. The Corporation has five full time employees.
