Skip to content

Seattle Culture

Why Seattle’s Tap Water Is So Good

The water-quality expert shares the secrets of Seattle’s delicious tap water.

By Sarai Dominguez July 15, 2011

0811_localauthority_0

This article originally appeared in the August 2011 issue of Seattle magazine.

West Seattleite Ralph Naess, 48, drinks water straight from the faucet. As manager of the public and cultural programs at the Cedar River Watershed—the more than 90,000 acres of natural habitat and protected water near North Bend that is the source of Seattle’s tap water—Naess has been quenching the public’s thirst for knowledge about local water for more than 18 years. An Evergreen grad with a masters from Antioch University, Naess heads a program that includes Drinking Water Discovery tours of the watershed (weekends through September; see seattle.gov). Here, he reveals exactly why Seattle’s water is so wonderful. Sarai Dominguez
SM: What makes Seattle drinking water special?
RN: Our water tastes good because it comes fresh from the Cascades: natural, minimally treated—no herbicides, pesticides or chemicals—clean, tasty water. It’s not like the water from the Mississippi River or Lake Michigan, which is heavily filtered and processed (because it’s been through thousands of kidneys) and kind of tastes flat. Our protected watershed is a fundamentally different kind of system. We get the first use of this water, and everything in here is natural.

SM: What’s the water’s pathway to our faucets?
RN: From the Cedar River Watershed the water is screened, then sent on to Lake Youngs, where we use ozone (a disinfectant), chlorine and ultraviolet light to kill the organisms—naturally occurring bacteria and protozoa—in the water. It’s then stored in reservoirs. Open reservoirs have chlorination systems to re-treat the water, because once the water is opened up to the air, ducks can fly in, algae can grow. Covered reservoirs are fantastic for water quality and security.
SM: How does our tap water compare to bottled water?
RN: Water out of your tap is much more regulated than bottled water. Bottled water companies test their own product, while we test our water from the source to the tap; [Our] labs test dozens of samples a day. Bottled water has other environmental consequences, such as the bottle itself, which is made from petroleum. Also, you can get a hundred gallons of tap water for less than a dollar. It’s like the water is falling out of Cedar Falls, through the river, directly into your glass. It’s beautiful.

*This story has been updated since the print edition went to press.

 

Follow Us

New Filing Fix Can Help Tame Your Taxes

New Filing Fix Can Help Tame Your Taxes

Free site aims to untangle tax questions

For many, filing taxes is akin to deciphering an ancient cryptic scroll. A new website is here to help. MyFreeTaxesWA.org connects Washington residents with IRS-certified volunteer tax professionals who can offer in-person or virtual tax help. As the name implies, it’s a free service and is available in multiple languages. The effort is funded through…

Downtown Seattle Foot Traffic is Up, Thanks to Amazon

Downtown Seattle Foot Traffic is Up, Thanks to Amazon

Still lags pre-pandemic numbers

Amazon’s return-to-office mandate resulted in a measurable increase among downtown Seattle office workers in January, but the numbers still aren’t anywhere near where they were six years ago. The Downtown Seattle Association’s Revitalization Dashboard shows foot traffic in neighborhoods where Amazon’s offices are located (South Lake Union and Denny Regrade) at 74% of that of…

Goodbye Seattle Freeze. Hello Seattle Bear Hug

Goodbye Seattle Freeze. Hello Seattle Bear Hug

US Chamber of Connection seeks to unite newcomers to the city

Aaron Hurst is outgoing. He’s friendly. After just a brief conversation with him, it’s difficult to imagine he would have a hard time making friends. That, however, is exactly what happened when he moved to Seattle from Brooklyn about 10 years ago. His wife, Kara, had just landed her “dream job” as Amazon’s chief sustainability…

UW Names Robert J. Jones New President

UW Names Robert J. Jones New President

Jones replaces Ana Mari Cauce, who is retiring

The University of Washington has named Robert J. Jones its 34th president. Jones, who has spent the past nine years as chancellor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, replaces Ana Mari Cauce, who will have held the role for 10 years at the end of the academic year in June. Jones, who also previously served…