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Consultant flags aging equipment and regulation gaps at Bloomington wastewater plant; timeline for upgrades set
Summary
Delta 3 told the Village Board the 1983 wastewater plant meets about 57% of design flow but faces new regulatory limits and aging equipment; the firm recommended several upgrades and outlined a timeline through construction in 2028–29.
Delta 3 engineer Jordan Fure presented a facility evaluation on the Village of Bloomington’s wastewater treatment plant, telling the Village Board the plant is operating at about 57% of its design flow but was not built to meet several newer regulatory limits and aging-equipment issues.
Fure identified specific aging systems: the 1983 motor control center and comminutor have obsolete parts, the generator only powers one blower and is at end of life, the sludge storage tank sits in the floodplain and is in poor condition, and the chlorine disinfection system uses hazardous chemicals. He said newer regulatory drivers include ammonia limits, fecal coliform (now measured as E. coli), PFAS, chlorides and total phosphorus limits that the facility was not designed to treat.
To address those issues, Delta 3 recommended replacing the MCC with variable-frequency drives, upgrading the headworks (mechanical screen and automatic bagger), switching from chlorine to ultraviolet disinfection, constructing a new sludge storage tank outside the floodplain, replacing blowers and adding sound enclosures, and installing a dissolved-oxygen probe to better control blower operation.
Fure provided a project schedule: a final report to the village in December 2025; development of a facility plan in 2026; plans and specifications prepared in 2027 alongside grant applications; and construction likely in 2028–29. He also noted the village will receive a $5,000 Focus on Energy reimbursement and that Delta 3 will return in February 2026 to discuss priorities and estimated costs for the facility plan.
The board did not vote on construction funding at the meeting. McLimans and other members discussed pursuing grant funding and low-interest DNR loan options to reduce the village’s out-of-pocket costs. Delta 3’s recommendations and the timeline give the village a multi-year path to address regulatory compliance and equipment replacement.
The board received the evaluation and directed staff and consultants to return with prioritized costs and funding options in early 2026.
