City of Bloomington Utilities water quality
Bloomington, IN · serves 83,000 people (26,449 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID IN5253002
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level5.1 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved3 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Aug 2024. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Aug 2024. What to do if you get a notice.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Got a boil-water or do-not-drink notice? What each notice means and what to do.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Bloomington Utilities's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (812) 349-3655. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested May 2023 to Feb 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 5.1 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 6.2 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 5.1 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2022 | 3.3 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 4.6 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 4.9 ppb |
| Jul 2018 – Dec 2018 | 6.2 ppb |
| Jul 2017 – Dec 2017 | 4.9 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Jun 2017 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 5.8 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2013 | 5.8 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2011 | 3.7 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Jun 2010 | 4 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Aug 2024 | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · measured 1.5 ntu (limit ) Resolved |
| Jan 2018 | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) Archived |
| Jul 2016 | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) Resolved |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 1.81 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.1 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.042 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 310 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 47401, 47402, 47403, 47404, 47408
Nearby utilities
- Columbus Municipal Utility Columbus · 33 mi
- Indiana American Water – Johnson County Greenwood · 38 mi
- Citizens Water – Indianapolis Indianapolis · 47 mi
- Indiana American Water – Terre Haute Terre Haute · 50 mi
- West Terre Haute Water West Terre Haute · 54 mi · PFAS above limit
- Carmel Water Department Carmel · 59 mi
Questions
Is City of Bloomington Utilities water safe to drink?
City of Bloomington Utilities had 3 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does City of Bloomington Utilities water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Bloomington Utilities for 29 PFAS between May 2023 and Feb 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in City of Bloomington Utilities water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Bloomington Utilities is 5.1 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for IN5253002: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IN5253002).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Bloomington Utilities at (812) 349-3655, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.