The Drinking Water Program protects public health by helping to ensure Clallam County has safe drinking water and by helping to prevent water-related illness. We work with both individual well owners and owners of community water systems.

The drinking water program offers these services:

• Providing water testing facilities for individual and public water systems
• Providing information and answering questions about safe drinking water
• Investigating suspected water-related illnesses
• Making sure building projects have safe drinking water available before building permits are issued via a Water Availability verification form
• Helping to ensure that new wells are protected and properly located away from potential contamination sources
• Maintaining drinking water records with information about large and small public water systems, including water test results
• Assisting the State of Washington's Drinking Water Program with local projects

Water Testing

Clallam County has an in-house laboratory facility to test for Bacteria (PDF) and Nitrates (PDF) in drinking water. We provide these services for individuals and community water systems. Individuals may test their water if they have a private well, or if they want to check water that comes from a community system. Community systems are required to test their water on a regular basis, the lab reports these results to the State Department of Health. Water testing and proof of potable water availability are frequently required for building permits.

Water Systems

Public water systems are regulated by the Washington State Department of Health. Environmental Health Services provides information to water system owners and managers on how to achieve compliance with state water quality and wellhead protection requirements.  

Natural Resources

Clallam County's Natural Resources manages watershed planning, salmon recovery, and planning issues related to groundwater and water quality.

We recommend that you do not take your drinking water from surface sources, such as irrigation ditches and streams. If you choose to do so, we suggest that you boil it prior to use and have it tested frequently. This water is much more likely to be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and chemicals than water from wells.