Bloomington utility workers have fixed dozens of water main breaks this year

By: Taj Simmons

BLOOMINGTON — We all depend on clean drinking water to live, but that water often gets to us through old pipes and metal. The equipment sometimes can not stand the pressure.

City of Bloomington Utilities has repaired 32 water main breaks so far this year. A water main break in the Gentry neighborhood on Wednesday led to a boil water advisory due to low water pressure.

Communications director Holly McLaughlin said the main break happened while contractors were testing the equipment within the water line.

"When they went to turn the valve, it had not been turned in so long that when they turned it, the bolts actually disintegrated to the point where the bolts fell off of it," McLaughlin said.

The water main was repaired in hours. Customers told WRTV on Thursday that their water was back to normal.

McLaughlin said the latest water main break is a reminder of the old equipment crews are trying to replace and repair.

"Think about what it takes to maintain the plumbing and then see CBU as the entity taking care of plumbing for the whole city," McLaughlin said. "We have cast iron pipes in service that date back to 1900. Interestingly enough, those pipes are actually functioning better than the pipes we've seen from maybe 50 years ago where we switched to a ductile iron."

The maintenance is paid for through water bills. Bloomington's drinking water rate increased at the beginning of 2024, and McLaughlin said these repairs prove the worth of utility funds.

"With a lot of infrastructure, you never know. The only time you know about it is when there's a problem," McLaughlin said. "If you're not hearing about us in the news, that's a good thing. Everything is working like it's supposed to.”