Your Water Quality Exceeds the Highest Standards
Water is perhaps Clark County’s most valuable natural and economic resource. Our health and the quality of our environment depend on access to clean water. Your Clark Public Utilities water supply meets or exceeds all state and federal requirements for quality, and our top priority is to maintain an excellent level of quality in the
water you drink. Our ongoing efforts to provide you with a healthy water supply include:
- Regularly testing all of our wells and distribution system — we do this more frequently than required by the Washington State Department of Health
- Checking water quality weekly at key locations throughout our distribution system
- Testing for heavy metals, bacteria, organic compounds and other contaminants. Both the state health department and independent laboratories conduct these tests
- Routinely inspecting our above-ground water storage reservoirs. We keep our water as pure as possible, adding only a trace of chlorine necessary to ensure the water delivered to your home is free of harmful bacteria. We don’t add any other chemicals, such as fluoride to the water you drink
Read the most recent annual water quality report by clicking the button below.
A Message About Water Quality
As water travels over land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and may pick up substances resulting from human activity or the presence of animals. Substances that may be present in source water include: biological contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemicals from industrial or petroleum use; and natural or man-made radioactive materials.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants, but their presence does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
All stream water and other surface water should be considered not safe for drinking unless it’s properly treated. Children are most likely to drink from surface water and need to be made aware of this health risk by a guardian.
What to Know About Water and PFAS
Like all water providers in Washington state, this utility is part of a robust water quality testing and reporting system to ensure public health and safety. And Clark Public Utilities tests and treats far beyond what is required by both state and federal regulations.
PFAS are commonly known as “forever chemicals” and have been used in consumer and commercial products since the 1940s. These chemicals do not biodegrade and are often part of industrial compounds such as fire suppressants. In recent years, testing for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances has increased, and PFAS have been detected in water systems globally, including in the Pacific Northwest.
Regulating agencies set thresholds for a variety of contaminants, including PFAS. If at any time PFAS are detected at levels requiring notification, customers in the affected areas will be provided information and mitigation plans will be put in place to ensure safety.
Learn More About PFAS
- The utility’s test results are included on an interactive map of PFAS detections published by Washington State Department of Health
- The Department of Health also publishes a resource page for PFAS in drinking water
- The EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791 also offers information about PFAS, other contaminants and their potential health effects
- Any PFAS findings will be published in the utility’s annual Water Quality Report, which is available to download or as a physical copy from the utility
- Clark Public Utilities water customers can call us at 360-992-3000 to learn more about water testing and treatment