Is Bellingham, WA tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Bellingham-Water Division · serves 141,127 people (28,187 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID WA5305600
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Bellingham gets its water from City of Bellingham-Water Division. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Whatcom County Water District #2 (1,353 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3.4 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2023. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Bellingham-Water Division's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2024 to Nov 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3.4 ppb lead (Jan 2021 – Dec 2023). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 5.9 ppb (Dec 2020).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 3.4 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 5.9 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 4 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1999 | 5.2 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 11 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 2 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.061 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.078 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.45 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Bellingham
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 98225, 98226, 98227, 98228, 98229
Nearby utilities
- Town of Coupeville Coupeville · 38 mi · PFAS above limit
- Marysville Utilities Marysville · 49 mi
- Snohomish County Public Utility District 1 – Lake Stevens Lake Stevens · 55 mi
- City of Everett Public Works Dept. Everett · 57 mi
- Alderwood Water District North Lynnwood · 63 mi
- City of Lynnwood Lynnwood · 64 mi
Questions
Is Bellingham tap water safe to drink?
Most of Bellingham gets its water from City of Bellingham-Water Division. City of Bellingham-Water Division has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Bellingham water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Bellingham-Water Division for 29 PFAS between Feb 2024 and Nov 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Bellingham water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Bellingham-Water Division is 3.4 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for WA5305600: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WA5305600).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Bellingham-Water Division, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.