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BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION

PWS ID: WA5305370 · Ferndale, Washington 98248

BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION serves 228 people in Ferndale, Washington using Groundwater water sources. It has 60 recorded EPA violations, including 17 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION

BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 228 residents in Ferndale, Washington (Whatcom County) through 76 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 60 total violations for this system , of which 17 (28%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 41 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 19 violations (MR). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Washington, EPA tracks 4,557 public water systems serving 9,736,844 people, with 314,648 cumulative violations and 20,590 health-based violations on record. About 92% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 69 violations. BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION's 60 violations sit below the Washington average. Statewide, 98 of 247 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (39.7%). All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
228
Total Violations
60
Health-Based Violations
17
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
76
County
Whatcom
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
17
Monitoring Violations
41
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 19 2015
Coliform (TCR) MCL 17 1999
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 5 2005
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE MR 5 2005
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2024
Radium-228 MR 1 2004
Lead and Copper Rule MR 1 2014
Barium MR 1 1979
Cadmium MR 1 1979
Fluoride MR 1 1979
Arsenic MR 1 1979
Selenium MR 1 1979
Nitrate MR 1 1979
Chromium MR 1 1979
Mercury MR 1 1979
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 1979
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 1 2021

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records — or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status — go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS — Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID WA5305370 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Washington Drinking Water Authority

Washington State Department of Health — Office of Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION under EPA-delegated authority.

Open WA regulator portal

Source: Washington State Department of Health — Office of Drinking Water

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2024 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 7000
2021 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 8000
2015 Coliform (TCR) MR 19 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 3100
2014 Lead and Copper Rule MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 5000
2005 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 5 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 2931
2005 ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE MR 5 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 2946
2004 Radium-228 MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 4030
1999 Coliform (TCR) MCL 17 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 3100
1979 Barium MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 1010
1979 Cadmium MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 1015
1979 Fluoride MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 1025
1979 Arsenic MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 1005
1979 Selenium MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 1045
1979 Nitrate MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 1040
1979 Chromium MR 1 SDWIS / WA5305370 / 1020

How BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION Washington avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 60 69 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 17 4.5 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 39.7% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 228 2,137 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 4,557 regulated public water systems in Washington.

Federal MCL reference — Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION water safe to drink?
BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION (PWS ID: WA5305370) has 60 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 228 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION serve?
BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION serves 228 people in Ferndale, Washington. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 76 service connections.
What type of violations does BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION have?
BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION has 60 total violations: 17 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 41 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION water?
No PFAS testing data is available for BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION use?
BELFERN WATER ASSOCIATION uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

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Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Related

Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial