Living in North Fork, CA: what to set up and who to call
Md 08 North Fork Water System reported 18 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: arsenic ×18. 77% of systems its size reported none. North Fork has no town government of its own, so Madera County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Chawanakee Unified School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in North Fork, 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 North Fork.
Power comes from PG&E
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of North Fork. Its homes paid an average of 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $174 a month (its average across California, for customers on its standard service). California 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 Md 08 North Fork Water System
Md 08 North Fork Water System supplies North Fork: about 16% of residents live in its service area. Shady Oaks Mobile Home Park LLC serves another 6%. Cascadel Mutual Water System serves another 6%. About 50% 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 264 people in all.
18 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: arsenic ×18, the latest beginning Apr 2026. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, 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. CA2000561.
4 home internet providers serve North Fork
40% of 1,680 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 1% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ponderosa Internet | DSL, Fiber, Fixed wireless | 99% | 100/20 |
| unWired Broadband | Fixed wireless | 65% | 50/12 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 34% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 23% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have North Fork’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in North Fork.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of North Fork (99%) is in Chawanakee Unified 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
North Fork is unincorporated, so Madera 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.
North Fork spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where North Fork residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of North Fork | ZIP’s residents in North Fork |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93643 | North Fork, CA | 91% | 95% |
| 93669 | Wishon, CA | 9% | 92% |
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 North Fork
Who supplies North Fork’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Md 08 North Fork Water System (EPA ID CA2000561). It reported 18 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: arsenic ×18. 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in North Fork?
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 North Fork?
The Ponderosa Internet, unWired Broadband, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in North Fork?
93643 (91%), 93669 (9%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is North Fork in?
Chawanakee Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in North Fork?
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 Madera County Elections Division. 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.