Bloomington commissions $430,575 water-supply safe-yield studies
Bloomington Water Department, Illinois · Meeting date: October 26, 2026 · Published: October 27, 2026
Bloomington City Council has approved separate safe-yield analysis agreements with Farnsworth Group and the Illinois State Water Survey. The work comes as the Water Department manages an $82 million annual capital programme and plans for substantially larger investment over coming years.
Key points
- Council approved an agreement with Farnsworth Group for a corrected amount of $187,600, rather than the $165,000 stated in the agenda listing.
- A second agreement with the Illinois State Water Survey was approved for $242,975.
- The two approved safe-yield analysis agreements total $430,575.
- The city has budgeted $82 million of water capital projects this fiscal year, supported in part by $75 million of budgeted borrowing.
- Finance staff said the city is modelling a water capital plan of roughly $200 million-$300 million over seven to eight years.
Full report
Bloomington City Council has authorised $430,575 of water-supply safe-yield analysis work, approving separate agreements with Farnsworth Group and the Illinois State Water Survey as the city prepares for a multi-year water investment programme.
The Farnsworth Group agreement was approved at $187,600. During the meeting, the city clerk corrected the amount shown on the agenda, which had listed the contract at $165,000. The clerk said the attached agreement contained the correct $187,600 figure. Council also approved a $242,975 agreement with the Illinois State Water Survey for the city’s water-supply safe-yield analysis.
Both contracts passed as part of the consent agenda.
The studies arrive while the Water Department is carrying a large capital budget. Finance Director Scott Rathburn said the water utility has a $112 million total budget for the year, including about $82 million in capital projects and $75 million in budgeted borrowing to support the programme.
The city had initially expected to borrow about $50 million during the fiscal year after reviewing project cash-flow needs. Rathburn said municipal borrowing rates had risen above the assumptions used in the city’s long-term modelling. The city had modelled water capital financing at interest rates of 4%-4.5%, while rates were then closer to 5.3% for 25- to 30-year debt.
On a $50 million bond issue, the higher rate would add about $300,000 in annual expense, Rathburn said. He told council the effect would not derail the programme, but would need to be incorporated into fiscal 2028 budgeting.
The city is planning for roughly $200 million-$300 million in water capital investment over seven to eight years, according to Rathburn. He said the plan would require adjustments as projects, borrowing needs and other inputs change.
The safe-yield contracts therefore establish a technical planning workstream alongside Bloomington’s capital and financing preparations, with the city drawing on both a private engineering firm and the Illinois State Water Survey for analysis of its water supply.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council Meeting, Bloomington Water Department