The public is being asked for its input when it comes to improving the City of Bloomington’s water supply.

The City asked for public feedback on the May draft of its watershed management plan for its sources of drinking water, Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake.

The plan provides ways to achieve water quality targets as defined by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and goals established in previous versions of the plan.

According to Public Works Director Kevin Kothe, the main goals of the plan include improving the level of nutrients and sediment in both lakes from farmland. This is responsible for large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous found within both lakes.

Kothe said the city has already been working on stabilizing shoreline erosion at Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake. He said this is particularly important because erosion allows nitrates from farmland and other general pollutants to enter the water supply.

“We have quite a concern at Lake Bloomington with nitrates at certain times of the year. The more we can do to control the nitrate runoff helps us out as far as when we can use the different lakes at different times of the year,” Kothe said.

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