City of Bloomington Utilities Report April's Disinfectant Byproduct Levels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 4, 2017

For more information, please contact: Vic Kelson, City of Bloomington Utilities Director, 812-349-3650, kelsonv@bloomington.in.gov

City of Bloomington Officials Report April's Disinfectant Byproduct Levels

Bloomington, Ind. - The monthly disinfection byproduct (DBP) test results for April have been released. DBP concentrations have increased slightly when compared to the values from March.

For April 2017, the measured concentration of haloacetic acid (HAA5) levels at the eight testing sites ranged from 22.5 ppb to 25.9 ppb and the total trihalomethane (TTHM) levels were between 32.6 ppb and 36.2 ppb. In March 2017, results indicated the concentration of HAA5 ranged from 19.1 ppb to 23.3 ppb, and the TTHM levels were between 23.2 ppb to 27.7 ppb. The attached graphs show how concentrations have changed over time.

Last spring, City of Bloomington Utilities changed the treatment process at the Monroe Plant to remove chlorine disinfectant from the treatment basins, adding it later in the process. In December, chlorine was again introduced in the basins in order to achieve proper disinfection in the colder water. Utilities Director Vic Kelson said, "These results are consistent with our experience in early 2016, and we strive to continuously improve overall water quality."

Monthly water testing was initiated in January 2016 in an effort to better track water quality, specifically DBPs. Staff at City of Bloomington Utilities monitor the monthly water samples and adjust treatment procedures each month to optimize the process.

Regarding the report, Mayor John Hamilton said, "Monthly water testing initiated in January of 2016 continues to make the timely fine adjustments required to maintain the best quality water possible."

Testing of CBU water is conducted by a private, independent laboratory. All water quality test results are available online at data.bloomington.in.gov under "Utilities."

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