Public water system · WA5309899
ActiveBelfern West
At a glance
Belfern West (PWSID WA5309899) is an active community water system in Whatcom County, Washington. It reports serving 60 people through 24 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2017.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
60
Service connections
24
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Belfern West compare with other water systems in Whatcom County?
By EPA's size categories, Belfern West is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Whatcom County has 183 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,437 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 263,011 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Washington, the 4,705 active systems average 2,172 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Belfern West is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Washington has 2,392 active community water systems, 51% of the state's 4,705 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 4,370 Washington systems (93%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Belfern West?
EPA lists Belfern West as privately owned. The WA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 140 of the 183 active systems in Whatcom County (77%) are also privately owned.
Does Belfern West have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2017. The violations listed here began between September 2004 and January 2017. By type: 6 contaminant level above the legal limit, 5 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate (5 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Ethylene dibromide (EDB)code 2946 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)code 2931 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 2006-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Diquatcode 2032 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Belfern West: frequently asked questions
Who runs Belfern West?
Belfern West (PWSID WA5309899) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the WA state drinking water program.
How many people does Belfern West serve?
Belfern West reports serving 60 people through 24 service connections in Whatcom County, Washington.
Where does Belfern West get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Belfern West have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2017. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Belfern West's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2017. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the WA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Belfern West's water quality report?
As a community water system, Belfern West must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Whatcom County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham-Water Division City of | Whatcom | 141,127 | Community | Surface water |
| Lynden Water Department | Whatcom | 20,062 | Community | Surface water |
| Ferndale | Whatcom | 19,305 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lwwsd - South Shore Water System | Whatcom | 10,028 | Community | Surface water |
| Birch Bay Water & Sewer District | Whatcom | 9,046 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Blaine City of | Whatcom | 6,319 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Belfern West, PWSID WA5309899, Washington”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/washington/belfern-west-wa5309899 (data as of October 1, 2026).