Photo: Public domain · Public domainLiving in Ferndale, WA: what to set up and who to call
The Ferndale water system has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 5.6 ppb, was higher than 92% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). For an emergency, Island Hospital is the closest ER, 24.2 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ferndale, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Ferndale.
Power comes from Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy (Puget Sound Energy Inc), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Ferndale. Its homes paid an average of 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $147 a month (its average across Washington).
Start or move service: pse.com · (888) 225-5773
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ferndale water system
The Ferndale water system supplies almost all of Ferndale. It draws ground water and serves 19,305 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, was 5.6 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 7.4 ppb. That’s higher than 92% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. WA5324850.
6 home internet providers serve Ferndale
100% of 5,180 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 39% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 2,000/250 |
| Ziply Fiber | Fiber, DSL | 40% | 6,000/6,000 |
| Pogozone powered by Neubeam | Fixed wireless | 84% | 40/7 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 69% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 53% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 11% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Sanitary Service Company (SSC) picks up trash in Ferndale
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Ferndale, from the town’s own site.
Single-stream recycling
All your recyclables go in one bin, no sorting.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check cityofferndale.org →
From cityofferndale.org, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026; pages dated 2025, 2026-09-27. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Ferndale (98%) is in Ferndale School District; parts are in Bellingham School District (2%).
C+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Oct 2016; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ferndale is in ZIP code 98248
ZIP codes where Ferndale residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ferndale | ZIP’s residents in Ferndale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98248 | Ferndale, WA | 100% | 56% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Ferndale
Who supplies Ferndale’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Ferndale water system (EPA ID WA5324850). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 5.6 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ferndale?
Puget Sound Energy (Puget Sound Energy Inc), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Ferndale?
Xfinity, Ziply Fiber, Pogozone powered by Neubeam, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Ferndale?
98248. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ferndale in?
Ferndale School District. Parts of the city are in Bellingham School District.
How do I register to vote in Ferndale?
In Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Whatcom County Auditor. Check your registration at voter.votewa.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Ferndale’s own website (cityofferndale.org), read Oct 23, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.