Lincoln School · Photo: Hustvedt · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Erie, CO: what to set up and who to call
Power in Erie comes from United Power, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. The closest public drop-off to Erie is New Centennial Coal Mine tailings (1936-1952), 5 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Erie, 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 Erie.
Power comes from United Power
United Power (United Power, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves 84.5% of Erie residents. Its homes paid an average of 16.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $131 a month (its average across Colorado).
Start or move service: unitedpower.com · (208) 679-2222
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Erie water system
The Town of Erie water system supplies almost all of Erie. It draws surface water (EPA lists Left Hand WD and City of Lafayette as sellers) and serves 47,444 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 2.6 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 5.2 ppb. That’s higher than 76% 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. CO0162255.
10 home internet providers serve Erie
100% of 11,441 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 75% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 2,000/250 |
| Allo Communications | Fiber | 56% | 2,300/2,300 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 48% | 140/20 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 31% | 2,000/1,000 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | 91% | 50/10 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 67% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Erie
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Erie, from the town’s own site.
Erie Recycling Center
1000 Briggs Street, Erie, CO
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
Single-stream recycling
All your recyclables go in one bin, no sorting.
- Paper egg cartons
- Cans (do not crush or flatten)
- Loose metal jar lids and steel bottle caps
- Glass bottles and jars
- Clean, balled aluminum foil (2" or larger) and pie pans
- Magazines, brochures and catalogs
- Phone books
- White or pastel office paper
- File folders
- Newspapers and inserts
- Opened mail and greeting cards
- Paperback books
From erieco.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated 2026-09-27. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Erie (85%) is in St. Vrain Valley School District RE 1J; parts are in Boulder Valley School District RE-2 (15%).
A−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 Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Erie is in ZIP code 80516
ZIP codes where Erie residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Erie | ZIP’s residents in Erie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80516 | Erie, CO | 100% | 87% |
A few homes fall in 80026.
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 Erie
Who supplies Erie’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Erie water system (EPA ID CO0162255). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.6 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Erie?
United Power (United Power, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 16.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Erie?
Xfinity, Allo Communications, CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber, Rise Broadband, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Erie?
80516. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Erie in?
St. Vrain Valley School District RE 1J. Parts of the city are in Boulder Valley School District RE-2.
How do I register to vote in Erie?
In Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Weld County Clerk and Recorder. Check your registration at sos.state.co.us.
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: Erie’s own website (erieco.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- 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.