District Response to COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COVID-19 Response

District is taking measures to ensure no impacts of water and sewer services

Bellingham, Washington (March 16, 2020) – As all of us grapple with the impacts to our lives created by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District would like to reach out to our customers to provide some certainty in these uncertain times. We are fortunate to live in an area where we can rely on a continuous supply of clean and safe drinking water. The District has the necessary infrastructure to provide that water, and to convey the sewage we generate out of the Lake Whatcom watershed for treatment at the city of Bellingham’s wastewater treatment plant. That said, COVID-19 has created a number of questions related to services only a few weeks ago we all took for granted. Based on this, the District would like to share the steps we have taken to ensure continued operation of our water and sewer systems.

• While information related to the COVID-19 virus seems to change by the hour, all research to-date indicates that there is no impact of the virus on water supply systems. Specific to the District’s water systems, the District disinfects all water with chlorine as part of its treatment process. These levels are regularly tested to ensure they are maintained at levels that comply with state and federal water treatment requirements.
• The District continues to operate under normal procedures, but is also planning for any impacts to staffing that the outbreak may bring. At this point, our administrative office at 1220 Lakeway Drive remains open to the public, and we continue to provide customer-specific service as requested. That said, we are working with staff to ensure that should staffing levels be impacted, there are sufficient staffing redundancies to continue to operate our water and sewer systems.
• We are also planning for future impacts that may be related to supply chain disruptions. To protect against such impacts, the District has recently placed a large order of regularly used parts and equipment to bolster our already strong supply inventory.

Thank you for your trust in the District in providing these essential services to you. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the District at (360) 734-9224.