Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Living in Ider, AL: what to set up and who to call
Dekalb-Jackson Water Supply District reported 12 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: disinfection byproducts (HAA5) ×7, disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×5. 83% of systems its size reported none. Power in Ider comes from Sand Mountain Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ider, 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 Ider.
Power comes from Sand Mountain Electric Coop
Sand Mountain Electric Coop (Sand Mountain Electric Coop), a cooperative utility, serves all of Ider. Its homes paid an average of 13.6¢ per kWh in 2025, about $162 a month (its average across Alabama).
Start or move service: smec.coop · (256) 638-2153
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Dekalb-Jackson Water Supply District
Dekalb-Jackson Water Supply District supplies Ider: about 65% of residents live in its service area. About 35% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water (EPA lists Bridgeport Utilities Board and Section & Dutton, Water Works Bd. of and Northeast Alabama Water Sewer and Fpd and South Pittsburg Water System as sellers) and serves 32,421 people in all.
12 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (HAA5) ×7, disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×5, the latest beginning Jul 2025. 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 1.5 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 58% 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. AL0001796.
5 home internet providers serve Ider
100% of 370 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative | Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 46% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 20% | 100/20 |
| Killians Electronics | Fixed wireless | 17% | 25/10 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 16% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Ider’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Ider.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Ider is in DeKalb County School District.
Test scores and every school: see 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 Jul 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ider spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Ider residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ider | ZIP’s residents in Ider |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35981 | Ider, AL | 85% | 31% |
| 35978 | Henagar, AL | 15% | 2% |
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 Ider
Who supplies Ider’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Dekalb-Jackson Water Supply District (EPA ID AL0001796). It reported 12 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (HAA5) ×7, disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×5. 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.5 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ider?
Sand Mountain Electric Coop (Sand Mountain Electric Coop), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 13.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Ider?
Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, Verizon, T-Mobile, Killians Electronics, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Ider?
35981 (85%), 35978 (15%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ider in?
DeKalb County School District.
How do I register to vote in Ider?
In Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before). Elections here are run by the DeKalb County Circuit Clerk. Check your registration at myinfo.alabamavotes.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: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- 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 Nov 18, 2024 (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.