Reading Adobe Site · Photo: Brian Jinnett · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Lake California, CA: what to set up and who to call
Lake California has no town government of its own, so Tehama County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Evergreen Union Elementary School District. Tap water in Lake California comes from Rio Alto Water District, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 20% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Lake California, 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 Lake California.
Power comes from PG&E
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Lake California. Its homes paid an average of 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $174 a month (its average across California State, for customers on its standard service). California State lets you buy power from another supplier; 66% of PG&E’s home customers do, and PG&E still delivers it.
Start or move service: pgecorp.com
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Rio Alto Water District
Rio Alto Water District supplies almost all of Lake California. It draws ground water and serves 3,329 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. 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. CA5210005.
8 home internet providers serve Lake California
100% of 1,384 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable | 99% | 1,000/35 |
| DigitalPath | Fixed wireless | 98% | 400/20 |
| Com-Pair Services | Fixed wireless | 87% | 100/25 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 84% | 300/20 |
| ShastaBeam | Fixed wireless | 82% | 100/6 |
| Cal.net | Fixed wireless | 62% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Lake California’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Lake California.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Lake California is in two districts that split the grades: Evergreen Union Elementary School District and Red Bluff Joint Union High School District.
BSchool 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
Lake California is unincorporated, so Tehama County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Lake California is in ZIP code 96022
ZIP codes where Lake California residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Lake California | ZIP’s residents in Lake California |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96022 | Cottonwood, CA | 100% | 20% |
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 Lake California
Who supplies Lake California’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Rio Alto Water District (EPA ID CA5210005). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Lake California?
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Lake California?
Spectrum, DigitalPath, Com-Pair Services, Verizon, ShastaBeam, Cal.net (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Lake California?
96022. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Lake California in?
Evergreen Union Elementary School District and Red Bluff Joint Union High School District.
How do I register to vote in Lake California?
In California State 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 Tehama County Clerk-Elections. 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.