What services does City of Bloomington Utilities provide?
When is my Utility bill due?
How can I pay my water bill?
What if I can't pay my water bill by the due date?
How much is a typical water and sewer bill?
How do I connect to sewer if my house is on a septic system?
Where does our drinking water come from?
What happens to the water I flush?
What is an easement?

What services does City of Bloomington Utilities Department provide?
City Utilities Department provides water, wastewater and storm water services to Bloomington and part of the surrounding area. Click here for details on these services. City Utilities Department does not provide electrical, gas or cable TV service.

When is my Utility bill due?
 All utility bills are due on the same date, near the end of each month. The exact day will vary slightly from month to month.

How can I pay my water bill?

You have five basic options:

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
P O BOX 2500
BLOOMINGTON IN 47402-2500

What if I can't pay my bill by the due date?
Options are available. Please contact Customer Service to discuss your specific needs at 349-3930.

How much is a typical water and sewer bill?
 The bill is calculated based on the size meter you have and the amount of water you use. Most residential households are served by 3/4 inch meters. The following table shows the calculations for a typical residential customer in the city limits with two people and four people living in the household. Please see the rate schedule for more information. These rates effective March 2, 2011.

Number in Household 2 people 4 People
Meter Size 3/4" 3/4"
Gallons Used 5,000 10,000
Units Used 5 10
Water Charges-Meter

$7.14

 $7.14
Water Charges-Usage $2.47 x 5 = $12.35 $2.47 x 10 = $24.70
Water Charges-Tax ($12.35 + $7.14) x 7% = $1.36 ($24.70 + $7.14) x 7% = $2.23
Wastewater Charges-Meter $4.26 $4.26
Wastewater Charges-Usage $4.16 x 5 = $20.80 $4.16 x 10 = $41.60
Stormwater Charge $2.70 $2.70
Total Bill $48.61 $82.63

How do I connect to sewer if my house is on a septic system?
 The first step is to call the City Utilities Engineering Department at 812-349-3650 to determine if your residence is close enough to the sewer system to connect. If it is not, the engineers will evaluate the feasibility of getting your neighborhood served by analyzing maps of the sewer system. If sewers can be extended to serve your neighborhood and 60% of the property owners request service and put up deposits, a project will be implemented to extend sewer to your neighborhood. The total cost of the project is divided evenly among the number of homes served. The City of Bloomington Utilities Department budgets about $100,000 annually to its neighborhood sewer program.

Where does our drinking water come from?
Monroe Reservoir, commonly referred to as Lake Monroe, is the sole source of water for Bloomington. It is located six miles southeast of the city, has a drainage area of 441 square miles and a surface area of 10,750 acres at normal pool level. The lake is owned by the State of Indiana Department of Natural Resources and maintained by the Federal Army Corps of Engineers. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the dependable yield from the reservoir is 122 million gallons per day. Of this amount, 25% is committed to withdrawal by all users of the reservoir. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains the pool elevation of Lake Monroe, which is usually 538 feet above sea level. The City purchases water from the State of Indiana for use at the Monroe Water Treatment Plant.

What happens to the water I flush?
 Sanitary sewage wastewater normally flows by gravity through underground pipes to one of Bloomington's wastewater treatment plants where the water is treated physically, chemically, and biologically before being discharged back to the environment. The pipes follow the natural drainage of the land and get larger as you go downstream and more land is served. Gaps in the gravity sewer system are overcome by installing sewer lift stations at low points in the area or neighborhood where the wastewater collects in large manholes and is pumped to gravity sewers further downstream. Most residential neighborhoods are served by 8 inch diameter gravity sewers; the largest gravity sewer in Bloomington is a 48 inch pipe. People who live north of 12th Street are served by the Blucher Poole Wastewater Treatment Plant. The majority of the city is served by the Dillman Road Wastewater Treatment Plant.

What is an easement?
An easement is the right afforded a person or company to make limited use of another's real property. Utility companies obtain easements for the installation and maintenance of power lines, telephone or television cables, and gas, water, and sewer mains.

New development is required to grant easement to City of Bloomington Utilities Department for all public sewer aand water lines within the development. Certain water, sanitary sewer, or drainage projects involve aquisition of easements from property owners by City Utilities Department. Depending on the nature of the project, City Utilities Department may require that the easements be contributed in order to allow the project to proceed, or may offer fair market value compensation.