Water System Plan Update

A water system ensures that people and businesses in a city have access to clean water. A water system includes a water source, treatment facilities, and pipes that bring water to homes and businesses. You’re using your city’s water system whenever you turn on your faucet to fill a water glass, take a bath, or water your lawn.

The City of Bellingham owns and manages its water system, which includes residential, commercial, industrial and government water uses. The system collects water from Lake Whatcom, treats the water at the Water Treatment Plant, and brings the water through pipes to homes, businesses, and facilities across Bellingham.

Bellingham’s Water System Plan will help the city make smart choices about how we use, manage, and share our area’s water resources. The updated plan will ensure Bellingham’s water system continues to provide safe and reliable water service for customers in the coming years.

The Washington Department of Health (DOH) requires cities to update their Water System Plans every 10 years. This helps cities plan for growth, make sure their water systems are functioning properly, and keeps communities healthy.

Part of the City’s efforts to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for Bellingham residents include a Water Use Efficiency (WUE) program. Water use efficiency is a measure of how well a system uses water without wasting it. Visit our Engage Bellingham page to learn more about the program and the City’s goals for conserving water.

You can review the Water Use Efficiency Program Report to see the City’s goal and measures for the next ten years. It also includes the 2020-2024 WUE Program Summary.

The Water System Plan identifies what the City needs to do to align with today’s standards for water quality and quantity. The updated plan will recommend potential actions the City can take to keep our water system strong and resilient. The actions the plan recommends reflect the communities values based on the survey conducted in spring 2024:

• Community health: ensuring clean and safe drinking water for customers
• Protecting the environment: using our water resources in a way that projects the environment and our water source
• Sustainable water use: sharing water across different uses and activities without using it all up
• Keeping water affordable: ensuring water utility rates remain affordable and accessible
• Climate change resilience: supporting our water supply and system in a changing climate

Investments in our water system will keep our system strong and resilient for years to come. A public hearing will be held by the City Council in prior to adoption of the plan.

Our Water System Plan update is one of several City efforts to enhance water quality and create a healthier Bellingham. Visit the pages below to learn more about other current or upcoming plans and projects.

• Bellingham’s Comprehensive Plan
• Water Conservation Program