The City of Bloomington is actively addressing recent taste and odor concerns related to the water supply. Recent testing by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of the water at Lake Bloomington, Evergreen Lake, and finished water taps indicated no evidence of a harmful algal bloom. While the water remains safe to drink and use, staff are implementing solutions to improve water quality and transparency, including actions completed as of Monday.
“We understand that our residents expect and deserve high-quality water, and the current taste and odor issues do not meet those expectations,” said Jeff Jurgens, Bloomington City Manager. “While our testing shows the water is safe to drink, we recognize that this situation is unacceptable, and we are treating it with urgency. Our team is working aggressively to implement both immediate and long-term solutions, and we won’t stop until the issue is fully addressed. We will continue to provide regular updates and remain transparent about our progress. We appreciate the community’s patience, but we also know they want results — and so do we.”
To reduce taste and odor compounds, staff have lowered the filter loading rate by bringing six additional filters online. As of noon Monday, three of these filters have already been activated, with the remaining filters scheduled to follow based on operational demand.
An emergency operating permit application for a temporary powdered activated carbon (PAC) feed system is expected to be submitted this week. A chemical supplier is scheduled to be on-site this Friday to conduct water testing and determine the most effective PAC product for treatment. If results are favorable, the supplier is prepared to deliver the selected PAC product.
Calgon Carbon, the supplier for the City’s granular activated carbon (GAC) system, can provide 50-pound PAC bags for use in the old PAC feed system. Pricing and availability are currently being confirmed.
The old PAC system was taken offline in the early 2000s to reduce costs. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has requested an evaluation of restarting the system. It is estimated that the PAC required to address the current taste and odor problem would cost between $500,000 and $1 million annually. The existing GAC system operates at $155,000 per year.
Discussions are ongoing with three potential suppliers for a permanent PAC silo to enable efficient, large-scale PAC storage and dosing. Two vendors have indicated they can deliver the silo between December 2025 and January 2026, provided a purchase order is issued by mid-March 2025. Staff will continue evaluating proposals to select the most suitable supplier based on cost, lead time, and operational requirements.
With portions of the lake no longer frozen, staff have resumed algae testing to assess the presence of taste- and odor-causing organisms and potential control measures. Additionally, staff will submit an Algae Management Permit application to the IEPA to authorize any chemical treatments needed to control algae blooms.
Upcoming ice melt and rainfall are expected to help recharge lake levels and dilute geosmin and MIB concentrations, which should naturally improve taste and odor conditions in the water supply.
Key next steps include finalizing the emergency permit application and conducting PAC product testing. Medium-term actions involve confirming pricing for new PAC bags and addressing electrical repairs for the old PAC system. Long-term plans focus on selecting a PAC silo vendor and issuing a purchase order by mid-March 2025 to meet the December 2025/January 2026 delivery timeline. Algae testing and the submission of the IEPA algae permit will continue throughout this period.
