The City of Bloomington Water Department will temporarily switch its water source from Evergreen Lake to Lake Bloomington next week while treating Evergreen Lake for algae. The switch is expected to last about a week before returning to normal operations.
In late January, the Water Department switched to Evergreen Lake when water levels at Lake Bloomington were too low for use. Since then, Lake Bloomington has seen significant recovery. Following recent rainfall, the lake level has increased by 0.68 feet since Wednesday and now stands at 716.25 feet above sea level—3.25 feet below its full pool of 719.50 feet. Evergreen Lake is currently at 716.89 feet, which is 3.11 feet below its full pool of 720 feet.
Last week, the City treated Lake Bloomington for algae, and HAB toxin levels have since gone down, allowing for the temporary switch back while Evergreen Lake undergoes treatment.
“This is part of our ongoing effort to keep our water supply in the best possible shape,” said Ed Andrews, Water Director. “Now that conditions have improved at Lake Bloomington, we can safely use it as our source while we treat Evergreen Lake. Once the process is complete, we’ll be able to run from either lake.”
The algaecide treatment at Evergreen Lake is scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday, as long as conditions remain favorable. The Water Department will continue monitoring both lakes closely throughout the process.
For updates on water conditions, visit bloomingtonunderground.com.
