Water Quality: Bellingham, WA
18 water systems • 156,631 people served
Some ConcernsWater Quality Summary
Bellingham is served by 18 public water systems with a combined service population of 156,631 people, and has 110 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 3 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Bellingham's violation count is 32% below the national average for Washington. Contaminants associated with violations include E. coli, Fecal Coliform, Gross Alpha.
Contaminants Found
Causes gastrointestinal illness; certain strains (e.g., O157:H7) can cause severe kidney failure and death.
Common source: Fecal contamination from humans or animals entering the water supply
EPA limit: Zero (no E. coli permitted in drinking water)
Indicates direct fecal contamination; associated with diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and potential severe illness.
Common source: Human and animal fecal waste
EPA limit: Zero tolerance (any positive triggers violations)
Alpha-emitting radioactive particles increase cancer risk, particularly from bone and other internal cancers.
Common source: Natural uranium and radium in geological formations
EPA limit: 15 pCi/L (excluding radon and uranium)
Water Systems Serving Bellingham
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BELLINGHAM-WATER DIVISION CITY OF | WA5305600 | Surface Water | 139,912 | 1 |
| LWWSD - SOUTH SHORE WATER SYSTEM | WA5395910 | Surface Water | 10,028 | 3 |
| DEER CREEK WATER ASSOC. | WA5318418 | Groundwater | 2,000 | 17 |
| WHATCOM COUNTY WATER DIST #7 | WA5395900 | Surface Water | 1,410 | 2 |
| WHATCOM COUNTY WATER DIST #2 | WA5395700 | Surface Water | 1,353 | 1 |
| MOUNT BAKER WATER ASSOCIATION | WA5356500 | Groundwater | 500 | 5 |
| Deer Creek Water Assn/Guide South | WA53AB912 | Surface Water | 251 | 11 |
| LWWSD - EAGLERIDGE | WA5308118 | Surface Water | 196 | 1 |
| SUNSET WATER ASSOCIATION | WA5386200 | Groundwater | 174 | 3 |
| WAHL WATER ASSOC | WA5392150 | Groundwater | 165 | 8 |
| CHUCKANUT TRAILS WATER SYSTEM | WA5301383 | Groundwater | 158 | 1 |
| LWWSD - AGATE HEIGHTS | WA5352957 | Groundwater | 147 | 2 |
| MOUNT BAKER MOBILE HOME PARK | WA5356874 | Groundwater | 87 | 1 |
| SMITH ROAD WATER ASSOCIATION | WA5380550 | Groundwater | 77 | 36 |
| COUNTRY HAVEN WATER ASSOC | WA5315510 | Groundwater | 50 | 7 |
| VICTOR WATER ASSOCIATION | WA5391650 | Groundwater | 43 | 1 |
| ANDERSON CREEK WATER ASSOCIATION | WA5302300 | Groundwater | 41 | 5 |
| Glen Cove Water Association | WA5327950 | Surface Water | 39 | 5 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in Washington
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.