Lake Whatcom sewage spill poses potential health risk for some water users
Residents who draw their water directly from Lake Whatcom are being advised to boil their water after a wastewater system spill at Camp Firwood that poses a potential health risk.
The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District received a call just after 7 p.m. Monday from staff at Camp Firwood at 1740 Lake Whatcom Boulevard that the sewer lift station was overflowing. When District staff arrived to inspect the area at about 7:30 p.m., they found sewage surrounding the lift station.
“There was evidence that the sewage flowed into a stormwater catch basin near the lift station, which drains directly to Lake Whatcom approximately 170 feet from the lift station. District staff did not observe the lift station pumping sewage, and the pumps were turned off immediately to prevent further release from the lift station,” an alert from the Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District states.
Campers were kept away from the area while District staff used a “highly concentrated chlorine mixture” to disinfect the surface that showed evidence of sewage. District staff installed a bypass pump at the site to prevent further overflow and began removing the contaminated soil surrounding the lift station.
Work to repair the area continued Tuesday morning and was expected to be completed by the end of the day.
“Camp Firwood and The Firs organization extend their sincere thanks to the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District for their quick and diligent response following a district mechanical pump failure that led to a temporary sewage backup into Lake Whatcom on the evening of July 7,” Camp Firwood Executive Director Kelly Ellis said in a press release about the incident.
Based on the recommendations of Whatcom County Health and Community Services, the boat beach and “blob tower” at Camp Firwood are temporarily closed while water quality testing is underway, Ellis said. But due to the specific location of the spill and prevailing northwesterly winds, the main swim beach and South Cove were deemed safe for entry. Boating and tubing activities away from shore also continued as usual, according to Ellis.
Whatcom County Health and Community Services and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District are encouraging households — especially those without a disinfection treatment system — to bring their water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before consumption.
Households with a disinfection treatment system are encouraged to have their system inspected to ensure it is working properly.
Drinking water customers of the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District or the city of Bellingham do not need to boil their water.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 10:26 AM.
