Photo: Roger Puta · Public domainLiving in Portola, CA: what to set up and who to call
Power in Portola comes from Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. The closest public drop-off to Portola is Delleker Transfer Station, 2 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Portola, 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 Portola.
Power comes from Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop
Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop (Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop), a cooperative utility, serves all of Portola.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Portola water system
The City of Portola water system supplies almost all of Portola. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Plumas County Flood Control as seller) and serves 2,100 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 2.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 69% 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. CA3210003.
3 home internet providers serve Portola
98% of 1,032 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 90% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications | Fiber, Cable | 99% | 10,000/10,000 |
| DigitalPath | Fixed wireless | 100% | 200/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 92% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 2 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Portola.
Delleker Transfer Station
· run by Intermountain Disposal
This isn’t Portola’s own facility. Whether Portola residents may use it is the town’s rule: check ci.portola.ca.us.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Portola is in Plumas 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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Portola is in ZIP code 96122
ZIP codes where Portola residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Portola | ZIP’s residents in Portola |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96122 | Portola, CA | 100% | 52% |
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 Portola
Who supplies Portola’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Portola water system (EPA ID CA3210003). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Portola?
Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop (Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop), a cooperative utility.
What internet providers serve Portola?
Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications, DigitalPath, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Portola?
96122. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Portola in?
Plumas Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in Portola?
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 Plumas County Clerk-Recorder-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.