Water System Report WA

City of Bellevue

EPA ID: WA5305575 · 317,330 people served · 12 ZIP codes

Over five tracked years, City of Bellevue has stayed completely violation-free for its 317,330 residents.

Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02

B · 83
Avg Safety Score
317,330
People Served
12
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (5yr)
Surface Water
Water Source
Zone 3
Radon Risk · Low
0
Contaminants Flagged
$1.2M
Median Home Value in Service Area

Service Area Map

Coverage area for City of Bellevue Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary — Grade B

Service Area Demographics

$169,427
Median Household Income
348,709
Service Area Population
12%
Disadvantaged Population
30th
Poverty Percentile
10th
Energy Burden Percentile
55%
Pre-1986 Housing

The City of Bellevue serves a community with a median household income of $169,427 and an estimated 348,709 residents across its service area. Approximately 55% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?

Surface Water

City of Bellevue's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
20th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
70th
Superfund Site Proximity

About 2% of homes in King County, Washington rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.

Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 70th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.

Infrastructure Risk

48 yr
Avg Pipe Age
Copper
Pipe Material
22 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 69% of expected lifespan used End of life

PFAS Detected in Service Area

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 5 detections recorded. 2 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS).

State limits: PFOA: 0.01 ppt, PFOS: 0.015 ppt, PFHxS: 0.065 ppt, PFBS: 0.345 ppt, HFPO-DA: 0.024 ppt
Health concern: PFAS are linked to cancer, thyroid disease, immune suppression, and developmental effects. They do not break down naturally.
Recommended filter: Reverse osmosis (RO) or activated carbon filters certified for PFAS removal. Find the right filter →

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in Washington

City of Spokane
343,167 people
C 6 violations
City of Vancouver
373,047 people
C 2 violations
A 8 violations
Alderwood Water District
200,000 people
B 3 violations
A 2 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Flood Insurance PFAS Treatment
Flood Insurance $1,450
PFAS Treatment $170
Total Estimated Cost $1,620

Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.

Cost of Inaction

If water quality issues in this service area are not addressed, the estimated financial impact per household is:

PFAS Exposure — Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $1,620 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Estimates based on published EPA, CDC, and peer-reviewed research. Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These are conservative lower-bound estimates intended for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

City of Bellevue (EPA ID: WA5305575) is a community water system in Washington that serves approximately 317,330 people from surface water sources.

This system provides water to 12 ZIP codes across 6 communities.

Average Home Safety Score: B (83/100)

Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.

Violation History

No violations recorded — This water system has no recorded EPA violations in the past 5 years.

Lead & Copper

No Lead and Copper Rule sampling data available for this water system.

Radon Risk in Service Area

Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)

Need help with your water quality?

Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400

Find the Right Water Filter

Free tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: 10 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 2 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Bellevue (WA5305575) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is City of Bellevue water safe to drink?

Based on EPA records, City of Bellevue has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.

How many people does City of Bellevue serve?

City of Bellevue serves approximately 317,330 people across 12 ZIP codes in Washington.

Where does City of Bellevue get its water?

The primary water source is surface water.

Contact Your Water Utility

Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.

Phone
425-452-7840
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Address
450 110th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Contact information from City of Bellevue Utilities Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.

Water Source & Treatment

Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.

Source
Purchased from another utility
Treated water purchased wholesale from another water system.
Disinfectant used
free_chlorine
Treatment chemicals reported
ultraviolet light (UV)ozonechlorinefluoridesodium hydroxide

Source: City of Bellevue Utilities Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.

Treatment regime

How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.

Treatment classification
Advanced
Advanced treatment that may include ozonation, ultraviolet disinfection, activated-carbon filtration, or membrane filtration. Used when source water has elevated contamination risk or to remove disinfection byproducts.

Treatment chemicals and what each one does

Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.

Disinfectant
Inactivates bacteria, viruses, and parasites in the treated water.
ozonechlorine
pH adjustment
Raises or lowers water acidity to protect pipes and improve treatment performance.
sodium hydroxide
Fluoridation
Added at low levels per state or local public-health policy for dental health.
fluoride
Other reported chemicals
Reported by the utility but not in our annotation dictionary.
ultraviolet light (UV)

Watershed exposure sources reported

Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.

Microbial contaminantsInorganic contaminantsPesticides and herbicidesOrganic chemical contaminantsRadioactive contaminantsLivestock operationsUrban stormwater runoffSeptic systems

Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from City of Bellevue Utilities Consumer Confidence Report.

Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.

Samples collected
232

Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →

Understand PFAS health context and filtration →

Lead service line replacement plan from City of Bellevue Utilities Consumer Confidence Report:
Bellevue Utilities has compiled a Lead Service Line Inventory. Utility-owned lines from water main to meter have never used lead; ban in King County was enacted in 1968. Homeowner-side lines built before 1968 may contain lead. An online tool for customers to look up service line data is being developed at www.bellevuewa.gov/lead-service-line. Homeowner-side data shown as Unknown pending customer self-reporting.

Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker

This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.

Get notified on replacement progress

Subscribers receive an email when this utility updates its LSL plan, files a milestone report, or adjusts replacement timelines. No marketing, no third-party sharing.

By submitting you agree to Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime via the link in any email.

City of Bellevue Utilities

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.

Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →

Lead Service Line Inventory

Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:

0
Confirmed Lead
0
Galvanized — Replacement Required
9,739
Unknown Material
30,737
Confirmed Non-Lead

This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.

Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.

Federal Regulatory Status · 2026Q1
LCRR inventory submission: Reported all required service line types
Population served: 321,349
Reported to Washington

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.

Learn about lead in drinking water →

Aesthetic water quality

These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.

pH
8.2
How acidic or basic the water is on a 0-14 scale. Drinking water is typically near neutral.
EPA secondary range: 6.5 – 8.5
Fluoride
0.65 ppm
Utility adds fluoride
Measured fluoride concentration in parts per million.
EPA secondary MCL: 2.0 ppm
Alkalinity
17.1 ppm CaCO₃
Capacity of the water to neutralize acids, expressed as calcium carbonate equivalent.

Aesthetic measurements from City of Bellevue Utilities Consumer Confidence Report.

Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.

Notable events and violations

This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.

Notable events from the utility's CCR

These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.

Notable events from City of Bellevue Utilities Consumer Confidence Report:
  • In October 2023, a bromate sample was not analyzed for the Tolt supply; SPU cannot confirm water quality during that period, though historical and subsequent data show Tolt bromate generally non-detectable.
  • Lead service lines were banned in all of King County in 1968. Bellevue Utilities has never used lead in service lines from water main to meter. Homes built before 1968 could have customer-side lead pipes.
  • Lead and copper sampling conducted in 2017, 2020, and 2023 (52–68 homes); none exceeded the action level.

ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water from City of Bellevue safe to drink?
City of Bellevue earns a B safety grade with 0 violations in the past 5 years. Tap water meets EPA standards for most contaminants.
Should I use a water filter?
City of Bellevue meets EPA standards, but a water filter can reduce trace contaminants below detectable levels for added peace of mind.
How many people does City of Bellevue serve?
City of Bellevue serves approximately 317,330 people with drinking water across 12 ZIP codes.
What is City of Bellevue's water source?
City of Bellevue draws water from surface water sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
What is the demographic profile of City of Bellevue's service area?
The City of Bellevue service area has a median household income of $169,427. Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does City of Bellevue get its water?
City of Bellevue's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap. Based on available data, the source contamination risk is moderate.
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