Bloomington Water Department

The city has implemented temporary water filtration improvement, using a repurposed liquid lime feeding system. A new powder-activated carbon system will take about a year to arrive.

Bloomington's water director said they made a move Friday to switch their primary water supply source from Lake Bloomington to Evergreen Lake – largely for volume concerns.

The city normally draws from Bloomington and Evergreen lakes, but a swap has been made to Lake Bloomington for the time being. This is due to higher levels of chemicals in Lake Evergreen that, while not hazardous to health, produce more taste and odor complaints from residents.

Bloomington leaders gathered Monday to dig into $90 million of proposed capital projects for the upcoming year. All the plans are tentative, listed as part of a proposed $332 million fiscal 2025 budget. Bloomington City Council votes on that document April 8.

Bloomington water rates will go up 33% this May — and again in 2025 and 2026 — after Monday’s city council vote, paving the way for an overhaul of the city’s aging water supply system. The 7-2 vote also means the city’s water utility tax will be lowered, and the city will adjust how rates are determined for trash, sewer and stormwater.

The Bloomington City Council voted Monday to take the next step in a major reorganization of city space needs, approving a more than half-million-dollar office-space remodel.

In a $1.5 million project, the Fort Jesse pump stations will get a new generator, and workers will complete a complex rewiring of electrical systems to minimize the risk of both pumps failing simultaneously.

The Bloomington City Council is expected to vote Monday on a water pump station generator project topping $1.5 million, and a $200,000 plan to improve the Bloomington Police Department’s ventilation system.

On Monday, the Bloomington City Council OK’d a $1.5 million contract with G.A. Rich & Sons, Inc. to handle chemical system improvements at the facility.

Illinois water issues are legion. They are pressing. And those who deal with those issues face serious challenges meeting them: Rapidly shifting science, a legacy of underfunded agencies, a reluctant public, and an ever-changing environment.