Whatcom House · Lake Whatcom and the City water system, Bellingham

How Bellingham's water works

About 11 minutes. Drone footage: Genaro Shaffer. Pictures come from City, County, State and EPA documents, credited on screen.

Quick answers

Follow the water: tap a number

City aerial photo, 2022, of the northwest end of Lake Whatcom, Whatcom Falls Park and the treatment plant
Aerial photo 2022: City of Bellingham

The numbers

Lake Whatcom level, daily (ft, City datum)

Middle Fork Nooksack flow, June to Oct 23, 2026 (cfs)

Lead at the tap, 90th percentile of homes tested (ppb)

Chlorine byproducts (TTHM), highest site (ppb)

The Middle Fork dam, 2013 and 2022

County aerial photo, 2013: the Middle Fork Nooksack diversion dam before removal County aerial photo, 2022: the dam removed and the new intake
20132022

Drag across the photo. The dam came out in the summer of 2020; a new screened intake was built just upstream.

Aerial photos: Whatcom County (2013, 2022).

From 1939 to the next 20 years

    In their words

    Where the money goes

    Have your say

    Pictures