Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domainLiving in Bethel, AK: what to set up and who to call
Bethel-City S/D Water reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: disinfection byproducts (HAA5), beginning Jan 2022. There is no curbside pickup in Bethel: residents take trash to Bethel Landfill.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Bethel, 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 Bethel.
Power comes from Alaska Village Elec Coop
Alaska Village Elec Coop (Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Bethel. Its homes paid an average of 65.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $319 a month (its average across Alaska).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Bethel-City S/D Water
Bethel-City S/D Water supplies Bethel: about 87% of residents live in its service area. About 13% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 1,660 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (HAA5), beginning Jan 2022. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2024, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 2.9 ppb. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
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. AK2271999.
2 home internet providers serve Bethel
99% of 2,036 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Utilities | DSL | 100% | 10/1 |
| GCI | Cable | 98% | 2,500/75 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
No curbside pickup in Bethel: trash goes to the landfill
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Bethel, from the town’s own site.
Bethel Landfill
1300 Ridgecrest Dr., Bethel, AK 99559
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
From cityofbethel.org, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. 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.
Bethel is in Lower Kuskokwim School District.
DSchool 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 Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Bethel is in ZIP code 99559
ZIP codes where Bethel residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Bethel | ZIP’s residents in Bethel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99559 | Bethel, AK | 100% | 79% |
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 Bethel
Who supplies Bethel’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Bethel-City S/D Water (EPA ID AK2271999). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (HAA5). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Bethel?
Alaska Village Elec Coop (Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 65.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Bethel?
United Utilities, GCI (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Bethel?
99559. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Bethel in?
Lower Kuskokwim School District.
How do I register to vote in Bethel?
In Alaska you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Absentee and Petition Office. Check your registration at myvoterportal.alaska.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: Bethel’s own website (cityofbethel.org), read Oct 21, 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.