Water

The Public Works Department is responsible for the City's water utility, including maintenance of conveyance systems, treatment and monitoring, planning for expansion of the existing system, and construction of extensions.

The City of Ferndale obtains raw water from Whatcom County Public Utility District No. 1 (the PUD). The City purchases partially treated water which is drawn from the Nooksack River and treated at a settling facility before transmission to the City treatment facility. The City built its water treatment plant in 1975 to provide water treatment via coagulation, filtration, and chlorination prior to distribution and has the ability to treat 4.1 million gallons per day. The finished water is then pumped into the City distribution system and storage tanks.

The existing water service area covers approximately 3,000 acres and is generally defined by the existing City limits. The City owns and operates two water mains outside the city limits to the east of Ferndale. These mains were installed to meet the City’s original service area, which has since been redefined as a result of the limits established by the Growth Management Act. Approximately 400 homes outside of the corporate limits are served by these two lines that were installed in the 1970s and 1980s. In response to the requirements outlined within the Growth Management Act, the City now has a policy in place to not provide new services outside its Urban Growth Area.

All water purveyors are required to publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report which outlines important information about the drinking water they provide to their customers. Reports are mailed before July 1st each year to water customers. Please follow the link above to learn more about Ferndale's drinking water.