Water is pumped from Lake Decatur into a water treatment facility, tested for levels of certain chemicals, treated to adjust those levels and then sent into local homes.

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - There is a lot of work that goes into turning water from Lake Decatur into a drinkable condition in your sink.

In simple terms, water is pumped from Lake Decatur into a water treatment facility, tested for levels of certain chemicals, treated to adjust those levels and then sent into local homes. 

While the process requires a lot of work, a team with the City of Decatur is dedicated to protecting Lake Decatur and ensuring the treatment process is as simple as possible. The watershed team also helps make sure the chemicals farmers are using to grow their crops stay in those fields, not in the lake. 

"Our primary charge is to try to reduce the amount of sediment that comes in primarily from agriculture ... reducing sediment and then nitrate runoff from entering into the lake," said Justin Brueggemann, a watershed specialist with the City of Decatur. "We work with landowners and farmers to look at erosion problems, places where water runoff is leaching into the lake and then trying to either lead them towards structural practices or helping them institute structural practices that limit that."

Brueggemann's work is mutually beneficial. When they prevent runoff from entering the lake, it helps farmers save money, and their plants benefit. Keeping those materials out of Lake Decatur makes the water cleaner, reducing the need for dredging. 

Brueggemann uses technology like drones and GPS devices to track where water issues start and map out the proper solutions. Brueggemann says new technology like this has made his job easier and helps them make precise plans for projects. 

"The fact that we can take a piece of equipment and we can know exactly where we're at on the planet under a 10th of an inch is amazing every time we use it," said Brueggemann. "Whether we're in the middle of a field or we're in the woods, we can find those locations, and we use that equipment to survey all of our project locations." 

A Watershed Specialist is one of many STEM-based jobs offered by the City of Decatur. 

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