Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Bloomington?
Yes, Bloomington's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Bloomington has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Bloomington's water utility, Bloomington, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the Bloomington water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Bloomington Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Bloomington tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Bloomington's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Bloomington Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Bloomington for Bloomington in Illinois. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
Is there Lead in Bloomington Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Bloomington water system, Bloomington, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0032 mg/L of lead in Bloomington water. This is 21.3% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Bloomington contained more lead.
While Bloomington water testing may have found 0.0032 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Bloomington Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Peoria AASF #3 and AASF #4 - near Bloomington with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Bloomington has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Bloomington Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | 115 E. Washington St. P.O. Box 3157 BLOOMINGTON, IL, 61702-3157 |
Existing customers can login to their Bloomington account to pay their Bloomington water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Bloomington bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Bloomington water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Bloomington water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Bloomington means you will often need to put the water in your name with Bloomington. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Bloomington means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Bloomington. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1.82 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Bloomington, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Bloomington Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Bloomington's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
Source Water Assessment Summary: The Illinois EPA has compiled source water assessments for all community water supplies including the City of Bloomington. The Illinois EPA considers all surface water sources of public water supply to be susceptible to potential pollution problems. Hence the reason for mandatory treatment of all public water supplies in Illinois. Mandatory treatment includes coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection. Primary sources of pollution in Illinois lakes can include agricultural runoff, land disposal (septic systems) and shoreline erosion.
The Illinois EPA Source Water Assessment for our water supply is available upon request by calling Kevin Whitehouse at 309-
Water Supply Protection and Planning: The City of Bloomington is actively involved in watershed protection and lake management activities. Long term water supply planning includes management of our existing resources and development of new sources. Our interim water supply plan is linked at the City of Bloomington webpage:
Security: The City of Bloomington Public Works Water Division is working to continually improve the security of our water system. Since our water supply and distribution system is large, we ask all of our customers to be aware of any suspicious activities involving the water system. If anything suspicious is noted, please call the Water Division at (309)
The 2019 Water Quality Report for Bloomington may be viewed online at
URL: www.cityblm.org/waterquality
DEMONSTRATING INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION
We rely upon Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake to supply water to over 80,000 people. The City, along with many partners, continues to develop and implement the source water protection program that began in the mid 1980’s. Our long time partnership with the McLean County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and a good working relationship with landowners and producers in the watershed are important to the success of the program.
Our source water protection vision is to achieve the highest possible water quality in our reservoirs through cooperative actions with landowners, citizens and local governments to improve conditions in the catchments, streams and lakes. In addition to providing excellent source water, our lakes will support premier fisheries and provide recreational and educational opportunities to residents and visitors.
Our source water goals are to reduce nitrate nitrogen, sediment and phosphorus loadings to the reservoirs to acceptable levels. Lower phosphorus and nitrate concentrations in both reservoirs will decrease the occurrence and severity of excessive algal growth. Reducing sediment loading will increase the longevity of the reservoirs as water supplies by decreasing the rate of storage loss to sedimentation.
Our action plans for both reservoirs can be found in the watershed plans written by local watershed committees. The actions described in the plans range from storm water best management practices, lawn care practices and onsite waste system education for urban areas to nutrient management programs, stream restoration, lake shoreline stabilization, lake destratification, wetland construction and other activities in the drainage basin and in the lakes.
We are fortunate to be partnering with many different groups. Our long term partner, McLean County SWCD assists us in implementing our source water protection program with their Watershed Conservationist. Besides implementing the practices outlined in the watershed plans, the District provides coordination for the committees and oversees plan updates. Illinois State University is a major partner, with data collection and active research projects, by both students and faculty in many different departments, particularly Hydrogeology, Sociology and Economics. We work with The Friends of EverBloom (FOE) to stabilize the lake shorelines and the streams that feed our reservoirs. The FOE obtained grants to install rock riffle structures and stone toe protection in a tributary stream to Evergreen Lake, and for fish habitat that was incorporated into a shoreline stabilization project on Lake Bloomington. We are also fortunate to have good representation by state, federal and local agencies (especially McLean County Parks) and citizen groups in our program. One of the most innovative characteristics of our program is the extreme diversity of the partners. The ability of all the varied interests to pull together in one direction is truly remarkable.
2019 Annual Consumer Report
on the Quality of Tap Water
The City of Bloomington Public Works Water Division is committed to providing residents with a safe and reliable supply of
Overview
We at the Bloomington Public Works Water Division are grateful for the opportunity to provide safe drinking water to our customers. In order to ensure that your water is the best quality possible, the City is continually making improvements to our treatment facilities and is actively engaged in reservoir and watershed management.
The City performs monitoring for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Clean Lakes Program for the Lake Bloomington and Evergreen reservoirs. Information on the conditions of the reservoirs, sources of possible contamination, and plans for improving our reservoirs will be part of the study reports. We are or have been actively engaged in research projects with McLean County Soil and Water Conservation District, Illinois State University, the University of Illinois, the Nature Conservancy, Friends of Everbloom and many other agencies. The goal of these projects is to lessen the impact that farming, construction and other activities on the land that drains into our reservoirs have upon water quality.
If you would like to learn more about the decision making process that affect drinking water quality, please feel welcome to attend any of the regularly scheduled council meetings. The City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays every month in the City Hall Council Chambers on the 2nd Level. All City Council meetings are open to the public and are handicap accessible.
Water Sources
The City of Bloomington obtains water from two
Public Works Department 309-434-2225 • info@cityblm.org
AN EXPLANATION OF THE WATER-QUALITY DATA TABLE
The table shows the results of our water quality analyses. Every regulated contaminant that we detected in the water, even the minutest traces, is listed here. The table contains the name of each substance, the highest level allowed by regulation (MCL), the ideal goals for public health (MCLG), the amount detected, the usual sources of such contamination, footnotes explaining our findings, and a key to units of measurement. Definitions of MCL and MCLG are important. The data presented in this report are from the most recent testing done in accordance with regulations.
Table Definitions and Abbreviations
Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Average: Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.
Highest Level Detected: In most cases, the “Highest Level Detected” is the annual average of all samples collected during the calendar year. It may represent a single sample, if only one sample was collected. For contaminants monitored quarterly, a quarterly average is calculated using all routine/confirmation samples collected during the quarter. For chloramines, a running annual average is calculated each month by adding the monthly averages and dividing by twelve. For disinfection
Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: The level of a contaminant in
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL: The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal or MRDLG: The level of disinfectant in drinking water below which there is no known of expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
NA: Not applicable
NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units): Unit of turbidity (cloudiness) measurement.
ppm (parts per million): One part substance per million parts water or milligrams per liter (mg/L).
ppb (parts per billion): One part substance per billion parts water or micrograms per liter (µg/L).
Range of Detections: The range of individual sample results, from lowest to highest that were collected during the sample period. It may represent a single measurement (S) if only one sample was collected.
Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Year Sampled: While most monitoring was conducted in 2019, certain substances are monitored less than one per year because the levels do not change frequently. .
2019 Table of Detected Contaminants
ABOUT THE DATA
Nitrate: Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.
Sodium: This contaminant is not currently regulated and there is no MCL for sodium. Monitoring is required to provide information to consumers and health officials who are concerned about sodium intake due to dietary precaution. If you are on a sodium restricted diet, consult a physician about this level.
Turbidity: Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water caused by suspended particles. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of water quality and the effectiveness of our filtration system and disinfectants. As a treatment requirement, turbidity levels of water leaving the water treatment plant cannot be greater than 0.3 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) in more than 5% of our routine measurements and is never to exceed 1.0 NTU.
Lead Monitoring: Due to consistently low results, the IEPA placed lead and copper sampling for our system on a reduced schedule. Our next round of sampling is scheduled for summer 2020. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Bloomington is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using cold water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
Required Additional Health Information: To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) prescribes limits on the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline
|
Year |
|
|
|
Highest Level |
Range |
|
Contaminant |
Sampled |
Unit |
MCLG |
MCL |
Detected |
Of Detections |
Violation |
Inorganic Contaminants – Measured in the water leaving the drinking water treatment plant |
|||||||
Barium |
2019 |
ppm |
2 |
2 |
0.0073 |
|
Single |
|
No |
|
|
measurement |
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Typical sources: Discharge of drilling wastes, metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits. |
|||||||||
Fluoride |
2019 |
ppm |
4 |
4 |
0.801 |
|
0.546 – 0.801 |
|
No |
|
Typical sources: Water additive which promotes strong teeth |
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
2019 |
ppm |
NA |
1 |
0.016 |
|
Single |
|
No |
|
Iron |
|
measurement |
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Typical sources: Erosion from naturally occurring deposits. |
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
Highest |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2019 |
ppm |
10 |
10 |
quarterly |
|
0.72 - 5.7 |
|
No |
|
Nitrate (as |
average |
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
||
Nitrogen) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Typical sources: Runoff from fertilizer wastes, leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
of natural deposits. Quarterly averages are calculated using all routine and confirmation |
|||||||||
|
samples collected during a quarter. |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
2019 |
ppm |
NA |
NA |
21 |
|
Single |
|
No |
|
Sodium |
|
measurement |
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Typical sources: Erosion of naturally occurring deposits; used in water softening |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Synthetic Organic Chemicals - Measured in the water leaving the drinking water treatment plant |
||||||||||
Atrazine |
2019 |
ppb |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
0 - 0.58 |
|
No |
|
Typical Sources: Runoff from herbicide used on row crops. |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Disinfection/ Disinfectant |
|
|||||||||
Chloramines |
2019 |
ppm |
MRDLG=4 |
MRDL=4 |
3.2* |
|
3.2 - 3.2 |
|
No |
|
Typical sources: Water additive to control microbes. |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||
*For chloramines, a |
running annual average is calculated each month by adding the monthly averages and |
|
||||||||
dividing by twelve. The highest annual average of all months is listed. Some data from the previous year is used in this calculation.
|
|
|
|
|
27* |
|
|
Haloacetic Acids |
2019 |
ppb |
NA |
60 |
Highest |
0 - 35.6 |
No |
(HAA) 5 |
|
|
|
|
locational |
|
|
|
|
|
|
running average |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Typical sources: |
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
35* |
|
|
Total Trihalo- |
2019 |
ppb |
NA |
80 |
Highest |
25 – 34.2 |
No |
methane |
|
|
|
|
locational |
|
|
(TTHM) |
|
|
|
|
running average |
|
|
Typical sources: |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*For disinfection
Lead and Copper - Measured in the water distribution system
Contaminant |
Year |
Unit |
MCLG AL 90TH Percentile # Sites over AL Violation |
Sampled |
Copper |
2017 |
ppm |
1.3 |
1.3 |
0.059 |
0 |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Typical sources: Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives; Corrosion |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
of household plumbing systems. |
|
|
|
|
|||
Lead |
2017 |
|
ppb |
|
0 |
|
15 |
|
3.9 |
2 |
No |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Typical sources: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Turbidity - Measured in the water leaving the drinking water treatment plant |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year |
|
Limit (TT) |
|
Level Detected |
|
|
Violation |
|
||||
|
Tested |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Turbidity |
2019 |
|
1 NTU |
|
0.18 NTU |
|
|
No |
|
||||
Highest single |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
measurement |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Typical sources: Soil runoff |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Lowest monthly |
2019 |
|
0.3 NTU |
|
100 % |
|
|
No |
|
||||
% meeting limit |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Typical |
sources: Soil runoff |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Total Organic Carbon – Measured in the untreated water and the water leaving the water treatment plant
The percentage of Total Organic carbon (TOC) removal was measured each month and the system met all TOC removal requirements.
The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be
Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, storm water runoff, and residential use.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, are
Radioactive contaminants, which can be
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in
Other Monitoring: In addition to the required testing of our water system for regulated contaminants, the Bloomington Public Works Water Division performs voluntary tests for additional substances and microscopic organisms to make certain our drinking water is safe and of high quality. If you are interested in more detailed information, contact Kevin Whitehouse, Superintendent of Water Purification, or Jill Mayes, Laboratory Manager, at (309)
Contaminants
Bloomington
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 75975
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 21
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Arsenic
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Barium
- Bromoform
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Molybdenum
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Bloomington, IN is one of the most important parts of the Midwest for tap water. It is a very populous city that consist of over 50 thousand residents and has its own state and federal government offices, as well as schools and many other educational institutions. If you need to know if there are contaminants in your tap water or if you have been poisoned, you will want to go to this area.
Before you do this, however, it is a good idea to check out some of the other options. The first is to take a sample from a glass. If you take an individual sample, then you can determine what kind of contamination has been present. You should not do this on your own, however, and should only get an independent sample from a qualified lab.
Individual testing kits are available for these types of cases. They also include sample collection kits. Once you get a sample, you must wait for it to be tested. There are rules that say the samples have to be tested within three