Our District
Water District #10 was formed in November 1968 primarily to provide sewer service to the many homes on septic systems around Lake Whatcom. In September of 2003, the District changed its name to Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District to better represent the area it serves. The District’s service area includes:
- Geneva
- Sudden Valley
- North Shore of Lake Whatcom
Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District provides water service to approximately 3,735 residential customers and sewer service to approximately 4,077 residential customers in an 18 square mile area encompassing Lake Whatcom. The District is operated by 18 full time staff persons, a five-member Board of Commissioners, and has an annual budget of about $8 million dollars.
Mission & Goals
Our mission is to provide the best possible water and sewer services to District customers in a cost efficient manner, and in a way that contributes to protecting Lake Whatcom’s water quality. We strive:
- To provide safe and reliable drinking water with sufficient capacity to meet fire flow requirements and sewerage collection to District customers.
- To establish connection charges and utility rates necessary to maintain the District’s financial viability.
- To protect the natural resources within the Lake Whatcom watershed through cooperative efforts with other community and governmental organizations.
- To be recognized as an outstanding public utility that is responsive to the diverse expectations of its customers.
- To maintain the District’s facilities through effective planning, prevention, and corrective maintenance practices.
- To provide sewer and water service to those portions of the District as may reasonably be served.
- To have an organization environment that is responsive to customer needs, promotes teamwork and a safe work environment, and allows all people to achieve their full potential.
Water Service
The District operates a water treatment plant that provides water to Sudden Valley and Geneva residents. Four reservoirs, 5 pump stations, and 55 miles of transmission and distribution lines serve the water treatment plant. On the North Shore near Agate Bay, water service is provided from a well and water treatment facility that is operated by the District. The District also distributes water purchased from the City of Bellingham to its Eagleridge customers. In total, the District maintains and operates over 71 miles of water transmission and distribution lines delivering over a million gallons of water every day. All water distributed by Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District meets or surpasses EPA Safe Drinking Water standards.
Sewer Service
The District does not treat its own sewage. Wastewater services within the District consist of the collection and transmission of sewage flows to the regional wastewater treatment facility operated by the City of Bellingham. The mostly forested, steep slopes of the watershed offer a complex and challenging environment in which to operate utility services. The District owns and operates 29 sewer lift stations and maintains over 75 miles of sewage collection and transmission lines. Sewage from the District is collected and pumped to the secondary wastewater treatment plant at Post Point for treatment. Sewage disposal costs and a share of the facility upgrades and maintenance costs to the District are based on the volume of sewage sent to the wastewater treatment plant.