Water Service Outages in Washington by City
Only 10% of Washington's 2,311 community water systems have had a health-based EPA violation since 2015, one of the lowest shares of any state.
Washington drinking water record
Busiest year: 2024 (128 violations). Counted by the year the violation period began. Source: EPA SDWIS.
- Community water systems: 2,311 active systems serve about 9,564,273 people. 2,078 of them (90%) serve 3,300 people or fewer; 2,109 draw mainly on groundwater and 197 on surface water.
- Health-based violations since 2015: 934, at 220 systems (10% of all systems). That share is 2nd lowest of 50 states.
- Most common problems: contaminant averages over the limit (334); contaminant readings over the limit (288); surface water treatment (179). Source: EPA SDWIS
- Largest system: Seattle Public Utilities, about 1,161,961 people, with 1 health-based violation since 2015. Source: EPA SDWIS
- Housing age: the median Washington home was built in 1985 (US 1980). Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (table B25035)
- Storm damage to water service: NOAA storm narratives mention water mains, boil water notices or lost water service in 3 episodes in Washington since 2015. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- December 8, 2025, Chelan (flood): “A debris flow has washed out multiple roads, and swept away the water treatment plant and sewer system.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- November 15, 2021, Clallam (heavy rain): “Heavy rain on already saturated soils caused several landslides along SR 112, including a large landslide near Sekiu that cutoff the water main to the town.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
| System | People served | Main source | Health violations since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Public Utilities | 1,161,961 | Surface water | 1 |
| Tacoma Water Division City Of | 446,170 | Surface water | 0 |
| Vancouver City Of | 373,047 | Groundwater | 0 |
| Spokane City Of | 346,138 | Groundwater | 0 |
| Bellevue City Of | 321,349 | Bought surface water | 0 |
| Alderwood Water District | 245,715 | Bought surface water | 0 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Washington is 1st of 3 (1 = lowest share). Source: EPA SDWIS.
Checked September 2026.
Who to call in Washington, city by city
10 Washington cities on this site and the water utility for each. What to do while you wait is in our water service outage guide.
- Seattle Seattle Public Utilities
- Spokane City of Spokane Water Department
- Tacoma Tacoma Water
- Vancouver City of Vancouver Water
- Bellevue Bellevue Utilities
- Kent City of Kent Water
- Everett City of Everett Public Works
- Renton City of Renton Water Utility
- Spokane Valley Vera Water & Power
- Yakima City of Yakima Water
Frequently asked questions
Is there a water service outage in Washington right now?
Not on this site: no reports from Washington in the last 24 hours.
How many public water systems are in Washington?
EPA records list 2,311 active community water systems in Washington, serving about 9,564,273 people. 90% serve 3,300 people or fewer.
How common are drinking water violations in Washington?
Since 2015, 220 of 2,311 community water systems in Washington (10%) have had at least one health-based violation, 934 in total.
What is the largest water system in Washington?
Seattle Public Utilities, which EPA records list as serving about 1,161,961 people.
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
Cities in Washington with Water Service Outages Information
Bellevue
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 151,854
Bellevue Utilities
Everett
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 110,629
City of Everett Public Works
Renton
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 106,785
City of Renton Water Utility
Seattle
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 737,015
Seattle Public Utilities
Spokane
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 228,989
City of Spokane Water Department
Spokane Valley
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 102,976
Vera Water & Power
Vancouver
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 190,915
City of Vancouver Water