Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District

The City of Bloomington is getting a $600,000 state grant to build a green infrastructure park near to the community sewage treatment plant on the west side of town. It's the Sunnyside Park Sustainability Initiative.

The Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District plans to borrow $31.5 million for the next two phases of a major renovation to its sewage treatment plant in west Bloomington.

We might have an answer to the pungent question in Central Illinois of late: Just what is that awful smell? It's likely a phenomenon called petrichor, according to a state climatologist.

The Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District plans to increase its tax levy next year by just under 5%.

A potential huge cost looms for drinking water producers — so-called forever chemicals or PFAS. Bloomington and Normal water departments expect regulation will eventually require removal of PFAS.

A plastics recycler in Bloomington now appears to be complying with Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District efforts to find out what was going on at the site on South Bunn Street, between Croxton and Bell.

You may have noticed your sewer use fees went up in Bloomington-Normal this year. They rose 15%. Bloomington- Normal Water Reclamation District Executive Director Tim Ervin said that’s about $2 per month for the average homeowner. And there will be several more years of double-digit percentage increases.

A series of loans, bond issuances and some user fee increases will fund 14 projects aimed at upgrading infrastructure that was originally built between 75-100 years ago.

Original proposed routes for Ameren's $1.6 billion grid upgrade included two possibilities that crossed through a south Bloomington nature preserve. The proposal now relies on existing corridors north of the Schroeder Wildlife Preserve.

Around $4 million for a long-planned Locust Street sewer separation project, improvements at the Bloomington-Normal Reclamation District and flood prevention within Uptown Normal has been proposed, but still need full Senate approval.