Sanitary Service Co., F street and Roeder Avenue, 734-3490, www.ssc-inc.com. Service area includes Bellingham, Ferndale, Birch Bay and the majority of unincorporated Whatcom County.

Blaine Bay Refuse, 332-5443, www.blainebay.com. Service area includes Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo.

Nooksack Valley Disposal and Recycling Inc., 250 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Lynden, 354-JUNK, www.nvd-inc.com. Service area includes the cities of Lynden, Everson, Nooksack and Sumas and a portion of unincorporated northern Whatcom County.

Recycling Hotline: 676-5723. Hotline for questions about waste reduction, recycling, household hazardous waste, disposal issues, composting, alternatives to chemicals and other environmentally friendly household management practices.

RDS Inc., 4916 La Bounty Drive, Ferndale, 384-8011, www.rdsdisposal.com. Drop-off.

Disposal of Toxics, 3505 Airport Drive, 380-4640, www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks /solidwaste. Dispose of household hazardous wastes like paints, solvents, cleaners and gasoline. Chemical wastes from businesses are also accepted with prior approval.

Clean Green Transfer Station, corner of Lakeway and Yew streets, 778-7700. Nominal fee for drop-off of home yard waste. For a list of materials accepted visit http://www.cob.org/services/environment/recycling.aspx.

WATER

City of Bellingham Finance Department, 210 Lottie St., 778-8000, www.cob.org/pw/water.

Glacier Water District No. 14, 9973 Mount Baker Highway, Glacier, 599-2558.

GAS

Cascade Natural Gas, (888) 522-1130, www.cngc.com. No walk-in office, call or visit their Web site to establish service.

TELEPHONE

Qwest Communications provides service to Bellingham and Lummi Island. From a residential phone, dial 811 or call 676-4411 if out of the area; business phone is 676-4448.

GTE provides service to the county, residential phone (800) 543-8389, business phone, (800) 543-9211.