Water

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.

At the heart of the proposal announced earlier this week is a new, stricter definition to the long-debated legal term, “Waters of the United States.”

After a years-long fight to save the old water tower in McLean, work is now being done on the Depression-era relic that a community group hopes will help fuel a renaissance in the village of about 700 residents.

WGLT talks to Bloomington's mayor about city planning surrounding water quality and supply, a lawsuit involving Bloomington police, and a recap of a busy summer activity season.

Residents of the Colonial Meadows subdivision nestled in the shadow of the Central Illinois Regional Airport have some good news about their water and sewer problems.

In an effort to modernize wastewater treatment, the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District [BNWRD] and Illinois State University’s Center for a Sustainable Water Future are forming a partnership to bring green infrastructure directly to Twin City residents.

Gov. JB Pritzker has signed legislation that clean water advocates say will reduce toxic water pollution.

Water and sewer are the most basic things a city typically provides. Through a complicated cluster of circumstances, neither of those services is dependable in a subdivision on the east side of Bloomington. And it's not at all clear how that will change.

The end of May sees the celebration of Memorial Day, the last days of the school year and, for parents and families, the start of the swimming season. A new partnership from the City of Bloomington aims to educate the public on water safety before diving headfirst into the pool.