Living in Big Creek, CA: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2024 is still open for the Big Creek Community Serv Dist water system, and its latest lead result (8.7 ppb) was higher than 96% of similar systems’, though under the 15 ppb action level. Big Creek has no town government of its own, so Fresno County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Big Creek Elementary School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Big Creek, 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 Big Creek.
Power comes from Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison (Southern California Edison Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Big Creek. Its homes paid an average of 31.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $149 a month (its average across California, for customers on its standard service). California lets you buy power from another supplier; 30% of Southern California Edison’s home customers do, and Southern California Edison still delivers it.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Big Creek Community Serv Dist water system
The Big Creek Community Serv Dist water system supplies Big Creek: about 54% of residents live in its service area. Sce/Big Creek Powerhouse 1 serves another 34%. About 22% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Sce/Big Creek Powerhouse 1 as seller) and serves 72 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. 78% of the 11,392 systems serving <=100 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2024: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jul–Dec 2025, was 8.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 32.6 ppb. That’s higher than 96% 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. CA1000005.
2 home internet providers serve Big Creek
46% of 100 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 1% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ponderosa Internet | DSL, Fiber | 100% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 3% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Big Creek’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Big Creek.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Big Creek is in two districts that split the grades: Big Creek Elementary School District and Sierra Unified School District (9-12).
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.
No town hall: the county runs things
Big Creek is unincorporated, so Fresno County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Big Creek spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Big Creek residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Big Creek | ZIP’s residents in Big Creek |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93605 | Big Creek, CA | 89% | 93% |
| 93634 | Lakeshore, CA | 11% | 31% |
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 Big Creek
Who supplies Big Creek’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Big Creek Community Serv Dist water system (EPA ID CA1000005). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 8.7 ppb (Jul–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Big Creek?
Southern California Edison (Southern California Edison Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 31.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Big Creek?
The Ponderosa Internet, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Big Creek?
93605 (89%), 93634 (11%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Big Creek in?
Big Creek Elementary School District and Sierra Unified School District (9-12).
How do I register to vote in Big Creek?
In California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Fresno County Clerk, Registrar of Voters. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.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.