Problems We Found in Bellevue's Drinking Water

Kezia Snipe  |  Hydroviv Research Analyst

For Hydroviv’s Bellevue water quality report, we aggregated water quality test data from City of Bellevue Utilities, the city’s water provider, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. We cross reference these data with toxicity studies in scientific and medical literature, and look at upcoming regulatory changes. The water filters that we build for people who live in Bellevue are optimized with these figures in mind.

Source Of Bellevue Drinking Water

The City of Bellevue’s water comes from the Cedar River and the south fork of the Tolt River. The water is purchased through Cascade Water Alliance (Cascade), which purchases its water from Seattle Public Utilities. Cascade also owns Lake Tapps, which can serve as a future source of water if needed.

Lead Levels In Bellevue Drinking Water

Lead enters into a consumer’s tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures fail (such as what happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water and can reach toxic levels. Recent analysis for lead in city of Bellevue's water quality revealed an average of 4.4 parts per billion. While the regulatory limit is 15 ppb, both the EPA and CDC recognize that there is no such thing as a safe level of lead. Of course, federal regulations cannot take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

Chromium 6 Levels In Bellevue Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. In recent years, Bellevue’s tap water has averaged 110 parts per trillion for Chromium 6. While the city of Bellevue's water quality is in compliance with nonexistent federal and very loose state regulations, these levels more than 5 times higher than the concentration determined to have negligible impact on cancer risk.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Bellevue Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not currently regulated very well, the EPA website discloses that high levels of disinfection byproducts in drinking water are are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems.

Still Have Questions About Bellevue Tap Water Or Water Quality In General?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that we use to build water filters that are built specifically for Bellevue, but our filters provide broad protection against a wide range of additional contaminants found in Bellevue's tap water.

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Bellevue, visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook. We pride ourselves in being a reputable source of information on water quality, and your questions will be answered by scientists, not salespeople (we don't have any salespeople on staff).

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