Water

The City of Bloomington had strongly recommended residents and citizens take measures to cut back on water use, but recent rain brought lake levels up more than 3 feet.

The City of Bloomington is engaged in a significant planning effort to look for ways to expand its drinking water supply. Water director Brett Lueschen said the city will likely need more water in the future.

Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady acknowledged in a WGLT interview the city has already begun to go its own way in project advocacy. Brady has been critical of the annual One Voice collective community lobbying trip to Washington. The city sent its delegation a day early this year to push its own projects.

The City of Bloomington doesn't know what's happening to up to 3 million gallons of water per day — and it could be more during the summer. An aging treatment and distribution system is a root cause.

Water conservation measures by Bloomington residents are still voluntary for now. Mayor Dan Brady said if the levels in the reservoir fall another two feet, they might not stay optional.

For the first 100 years of Bloomington history, water was scarce. In 1929, the formation of Lake Bloomington began after periods of drought, contamination and scarcity of safe drinking water.

Brett Lueschen is the City of Bloomington's new water director.

City Manager Jeff Jurgens has signed a proclamation that mandates restrictions intended to reduce water use by 10% across all sectors, including residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, institutional, wholesale and for electric power generation.

Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said the downtown business community largely drove the city decision to scale back on First Friday promotional events. The city will now pick its spots to promote First Fridays, tied to happenings such as the Route 66 Festival, Tour du Chocolat, or holiday programs.

The City of Bloomington is asking residents and businesses to reduce their water use, as water levels at lakes Bloomington and Evergreen have dropped more than 8 feet below adequate levels. Much of McLean County, including Bloomington-Normal, is in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.