Page last updated on November 19, 2024 at 9:33 am
Water Wise Bloomington was created to strengthen the City of Bloomington Utilities' commitment to provide the community with high quality drinking water while protecting and preserving our natural resources for future generations. You can play a vital role in helping make Bloomington’s drinking water supply chain clean and abundant! Explore this website to learn about how you will benefit from water conservation and what Utilities is doing to promote conservation!
The City of Bloomington is committed to conservation, implementing a comprehensive Climate Action Plan (2021) and Utilities' own Water Conservation Plan (2014). On top of this, City of Bloomington Utilities’ conducts outreach with local youth centers and organizations, schools, and collaborates with other organizations such as Indiana University and the Waste Reduction District of Monroe County.
How You Benefit From Water Conservation in Bloomington
Water-Energy Nexus
Did you know that treating and moving water and wastewater consumes enormous amounts of energy, and that, on the flip side, huge amounts of water are required to generate energy? Water-related energy use accounts for 3 to 4 percent of all energy consumed in the United States, and CBU spends millions of dollars each year on energy costs alone! Because we need to pump water over the hilly topography of South Central Indiana, we consume more energy per gallon of water than many other utilities our size. Using water in the home also consumes energy. Approximately 18% of a typical household's energy use is dedicated to heating water. By reducing the amount of hot water used in your home, you will reduce both your water bill and your energy bill! All this energy use has a huge impact on our community. The majority of electricity purchased in Bloomington is generated at coal-fired power plants, which are one the nation's top sources of carbon dioxide pollution. Coal plants also emit pollutants that cause smog, acid rain, and toxic air pollution. This all means that, for every drop of water you save, you are minimizing the amount of energy consumed, preventing harmful pollutants from being emitted, and saving money!
A Changing Climate
Bloomington has experienced the gamut of climate conditions over the past few years. We have been through one of the hottest and driest summers on record, one of the coldest winters on record, and erratic precipitation patterns. An unpredictable climate can affect both the quantity and quality of our water supplies, especially in communities like ours that depend on surface water. By implementing wise water use practices into your daily routine, you can help minimize the negative impacts that we may experience as a result of a changing climate, while also reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Timely Infrastructure Updates
Expanding the capacity of our water infrastructure is expensive, and you, the rate-payer, foot the bill! But you also have the power to help postpone the need for capital-intensive expansion projects. Communities across the world have demonstrated that we can delay the need for costly infrastructure expansion by using water more efficiently. Trends in the United States show that average per-capita water use is dropping due to more efficient water use practices. Keep the trend going by being a smart water user! By optimizing your water use your monthly utility bills will drop, and you can delay the need to dig into your pockets for future water expansion projects!
Economic Growth
Maintaining a dependable, quality water supply is just as important to economic development and growth as reliable electricity and transportation infrastructures (in fact, they are all dependent on one another). Regions in which this basic service is in jeopardy will have difficulty sustaining a healthy economy. By preserving the quality of our water supply, Bloomington will remain an attractive location for businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors, providing jobs and security for Bloomington residents. Help Bloomington maintain its strong economy by implementing wise water use practices and by keeping pollutants out of our watershed.
Resource Competition
The population of Bloomington and the surrounding area is not getting any smaller, and new sources of water don't just appear out of the blue. Water supplies are finite, and we have an obligation to use our limited resources responsibly. Prudent water use practices will help ensure that future generations have access to clean and abundant water sources, despite growing populations and the lack of new supplies.
