Page last updated on April 17, 2026 at 12:40 pm
NEW WATER AND SANITARY SEWER SERVICES
Any location that requires a brand new connection or review of an existing water or sewer connection to the public system. Service types may include Residential, Commercial, or Industrial connections, fire lines, irrigation systems, transitioning from septic to sewer, upgrading an existing service, and all change of use types. If you are building a new apartment complex or restaurant, rebuilding a new single family home after one was demolished, decommissioning a septic system to connect to the public sewer, or upgrading an existing service to accommodate additional plumbing features or an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), then you will be required to apply for a new service.
All new services must have the official address assigned to it prior to applying for service. If you are inside the City limits, please contact the City of Bloomington Engineering Department with any questions about how to start this process. If you are in the County, please contact the Monroe County Planning Department for more information on how to complete this step.
If the property needing new connection is outside of City of Bloomington's Corporate city limits and will be connecting to sanitary sewer, the following is necessary:
Contact our New Services Project Coordinator to request if Water/Sewer Services are available at that location. This request is then reviewed by the Utilities Director and a formal decision will be provided when the review has been completed. Email our office to begin this process.
If a positive determination is made, you will receive a formal letter outlining the specific conditions for that approval. Upon approval, you will be required to complete the following steps along with submission of the appropriate New Service Application:
- A copy of the deed must accompany the new service application.
- A Waiver of Protest to Annexation is required to be signed. City Legal will prepare the Waiver and contact you when it is ready to be signed.
- Payment of the New Service fees are to be paid in full prior to release of the service approval.
- Please allow time for this entire process to be completed.
NEW SERVICE APPLICATIONS
Applications may be obtained in the following ways:
- Email the Project Coordinator for New Services using this link to request an application.
- Call 812-349-3689 to request the appropriate application to be provided to you. If you are directed to leave a voicemail, be sure to identify the service address and service type for the new connection, and provide a return phone number or email address for a response.
Completed forms may be submitted to City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) as follows:
- Email the Project Coordinator for New Services using this link to submit your application and any associated documents requested.
- Drop off all documents to the City of Bloomington Utilities Department located at 600 East Miller Drive, Bloomington, Indiana 47401
- Mail to our office at: City of Bloomington Utilities, Attention New Services Project Coordinator, PO Box 1216, Bloomington, Indiana 47402-1216.
TIMELINE FOR APPLICATION REVIEWS
Depending on the complexity of the project needing new connection, we recommend the following timelines for the application submission, approval, and shipping timelines for meter orders:
Services 2 inches and smaller:
- Submit application at least 15-30 days in advance of needing water service on-site. If additional information is required, this timeline may be extended.
Services 3 inches and larger or firelines:
- Submit application and payment at least 8-10 months in advance of needing water service on-site due to lengthy delays in the ordering and shipping timelines. A partial payment equaling the Water Connection Fees will be due at the time that the order is placed; please contact our office for project-specific information. (An option for full payment option is also available at the time of ordering; please notify the New Services Project Coordinator which option you prefer.)
Upon application approval, you will be emailed an invoice which must be paid prior to service installation or utility connections being granted. Please allow sufficient time for this process. After payment is made, the contractor may schedule the water or sewer tap, and service installation.
TAP REQUESTS AND PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS
All required street cut or Right of Way excavation permits and road closure permitting is the responsibility of the project owner or contractor, and must be obtained prior to scheduling the work. More information for this process can be found on the City of Bloomington Engineering Department's webpage.
Tap requests must be made a minimum of 2 weeks in advance for approval and creation of work orders.
Existing Infrastructure:
All taps on existing infrastructure owned by CBU are to be completed by CBU personnel. Any exceptions to this rule will be determined by CBU staff.
Tap Sizing Requirements:
- Taps up to 12 inches in size: Contractor must complete all prep work prior to CBU's arrival to make the tap. This includes: site excavation, exposing the main, installation of the saddle & tapping valve, supply any necessary trench shoring, etc.
- All taps greater than 12 inches will be performed by an outside contractor, and hired at the expense of the developer/general contractor. CBU inspector MUST BE ON-SITE during the tap.
Post Installation Requirements:
Back-filling and site restoration are also the responsibility of the owner or contractor; see below for more details.
SCHEDULING PROCESS
Email the T&D Department staff members listed below requesting to schedule the water tap, sewer tap, and/or water service installation for your project.
- James Hall, Assistant Director of T&D Department: [email protected] (include on all email messages)
- Matt Kinser, Water Taps and Service Installation: [email protected] (include for water taps and service installs)
- Larry Hardin, Sanitary Sewer Taps: [email protected] (include for sewer taps)
Provide the following information in your email:
- Your name and contact number
- Project name, if applicable
- Location address
- Tap size
- Service size, if applicable
- Provide the Right-of-Way Excavation Permit #, and include road or lane closure dates, or other special requirements associated with that permit.
NOTE: Any special considerations such as street closures and or lane restrictions must be conveyed to both the New Services Coordinator (when applying for taps and services), as well as, our T&D Department when scheduling the tap and or service installation. Requests to expedite this process or for scheduling precedence (outside of those mentioned above) will not be honored. All tap requests & new service applications will be processed in normal order and scheduled on the next available date.
T&D Staff will contact you back to schedule a date to be onsite within that 2-week timeline.
SITE READINESS & RESTORATION:
Contractor must have the site prepped and ready in advance of CBU’s arrival. Failure to have all necessary work completed prior to CBU’s arrival onsite will result in the crew leaving the site, and the Contractor will be required to reschedule the work on the next available date. Updates to the ROW permit timeline are also the responsibility of the Contractor to address with the appropriate department.
SITE EXCAVATION:
Contractor must excavate the hole to CBU standards & specifications, making sure that it is secure, and ensure that the size of the hole is sufficient for the operation of the tapping machinery. Questions regarding this requirement should be directed to Matt Kinser or James Hall.
EXPOSE THE MAIN AND INSTALL TAPPING SADDLE & VALVE:
Contractor to excavate around the water main sufficiently enough to properly install the saddle & tapping valve.
- 1” Services: CBU provides the saddle & tapping valve
- 1.5” – 3” Services/Taps: Contractor to provide the saddle & tapping valve
- 4” and larger Taps: CBU provides the saddle & tapping valve
TRENCH SHORING:
Contractor to supply any necessary trench shoring for hole depths of 48-inches or greater.
SERVICE LINE TRENCH:
Contractor must have the trench line dug from the main to the location of the service pit. Pit dimensions must meet minimum requirements for the service/yoke setter to be installed. Refer to CBU Standard Detail 10 for meter pit dimensions of 1”-2” services.
SITE RESTORATION:
Contractor is responsible for back-filling and site restoration after the tap and/or service installation work has been completed.
- CBU Infrastructure must be back-filled per CBU Standards & Specifications. Refer to CBU Standard Detail 11.
- Site restoration work in the Right-of-Way will also be required to follow the specific standards outlined within your ROW permit.