Ever wonder where the water comes from when you turn on the tap — or where it goes after you flush? Follow the flow on H2Whoa!, a surprisingly intriguing ride through Bellingham’s hidden water world. Trace water from glaciers and rain, through storm drains and streams, into Lake Whatcom, through the water treatment system, and eventually, the wastewater treatment plant before it makes its way into Bellingham Bay. Along the way, you’ll discover a surprising world of infrastructure hiding in plain sight — and a vast underground network of pipes running beneath your tires.  It’s a journey of precipitation, plants, pipes, poop, and pumps — and by the end, you may never look at a glass of water or a toilet flush quite the same way again. A bike ride about water and sewers might sound a little dry, but it’s actually quite H2Whoa!

The route begins at Bloedel Donovan Park, on the shore of Lake Whatcom, where you’ll learn about the city’s water intake. While at the park, you’ll learn about some of the creative ways Bellingham Public Works manages stormwater, including the boat launch vault, sidewalk filters, permeable pavement, beach sand filter, and rain gardens — all hiding in plain sight. From there, pedal across the street to Whatcom Falls Park to learn about the control dam. Then continue to the screen house and Bellingham’s most popular natural attraction, Whatcom Falls. Nearby you’ll find the Water Cycle Fence and the Water Treatment Plant, where the journey from watershed to tap comes into focus. Then enjoy a lovely pedal along the Whatcom Creek Trail towards downtown. You’ll pass through Maritime Heritage Park, home to the city’s former sewage treatment plant, before making a well-earned stop at family-friendly Structures Brewing in Old Town for some solid and liquid refueling. Play a fun H2Whoa! trivia game while you’re waiting for your order to arrive. From there, it’s back to the waterworks. Just a short distance from the brewery, you’ll discover a lift station — one of the many pieces of infrastructure quietly moving poop beneath the City of Subdued Excitement. Check out a storm drain, then pedal along the South Bay Trail toward Boulevard Park, where a control box gets an artistic makeover courtesy of a local student. The final stop is the wastewater treatment plant, where Bellingham’s wastewater gets cleaned before the treated water makes its way into Bellingham Bay. Enjoy the ride back to Boulevard Park!

Note: If your legs have had enough waterworks for one day, hop on a bus at Bellingham Station for a lift back to the park. The station is noted on the map. The 525 Barkley (get off at Electric Ave at Bloedel Donovan) bus will take you directly to the park. The 512 Sudden Valley (get off at Lakeway Dr at Birch St) and 540 Sunset (get off at Alabama St at Fir St) routes will require a short bit of flat riding. Find more information at WTA Transit.