Living in Big River, CA: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2024 is still open for the Big River Development water system. Big River has no town government of its own, so San Bernardino County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Needles Unified School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Big River, 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 River.
Power comes from Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison (Southern California Edison Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Big River. 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 River Development water system
The Big River Development water system supplies Big River: about 45% of residents live in its service area. About 55% 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 3,550 people in all.
3 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×3, the latest beginning Mar 2024. 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people had none. 3 older violations are still open, since 2024: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2020–Dec 2022, was 2.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 78% 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. 090600226.
3 home internet providers serve Big River
54% of 986 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier | DSL | 59% | 45/3 |
| Optimum | Cable | 59% | 500/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 2% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Big River’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Big River.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Big River is in Needles Unified School District.
C+School gradeSee 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 River is unincorporated, so San Bernardino County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Big River is in ZIP code 92242
ZIP codes where Big River residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Big River | ZIP’s residents in Big River |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92242 | Earp, CA | 100% | 88% |
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 River
Who supplies Big River’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Big River Development water system (EPA ID 090600226). It reported 3 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×3. 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.7 ppb (Jan 2020–Dec 2022), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Big River?
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 River?
Frontier, Optimum, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Big River?
92242. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Big River in?
Needles Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in Big River?
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 San Bernardino 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.