Arrowhead Lodge · Photo: Paul Murr · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Red Feather Lakes, CO: what to set up and who to call
The Shambhala Mountain Center water system reported 7 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×6, a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule). 78% of systems its size reported none. Red Feather Lakes has no town government of its own, so Larimer County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Poudre School District R-1.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Red Feather Lakes, 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 Red Feather Lakes.
Power comes from Poudre Valley REA
Poudre Valley REA (Poudre Valley REA, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Red Feather Lakes. Its homes paid an average of 12.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $109 a month (its average across Colorado).
Start or move service: www.pvrea.com · (970) 226-1234
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Shambhala Mountain Center water system
The Shambhala Mountain Center water system supplies Red Feather Lakes: about 12% of residents live in its service area. About 88% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water influenced by surface water and serves 90 people in all.
7 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×6, a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule), the latest beginning Sep 2025. 78% of the 11,392 systems serving <=100 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jul–Dec 2026, was 10.5 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 29.5 ppb. That’s higher than 97% 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. CO0235685.
2 home internet providers serve Red Feather Lakes
39% of 918 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink | DSL | 61% | 100/10 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 74% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Red Feather Lakes’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Red Feather Lakes.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Red Feather Lakes is in Poudre School District R-1.
Test scores and every school: see 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
Red Feather Lakes is unincorporated, so Larimer 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.
Red Feather Lakes is in ZIP code 80545
ZIP codes where Red Feather Lakes residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Red Feather Lakes | ZIP’s residents in Red Feather Lakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80545 | Red Feather Lakes, CO | 100% | 41% |
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 Red Feather Lakes
Who supplies Red Feather Lakes’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Shambhala Mountain Center water system (EPA ID CO0235685). It reported 7 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×6, a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 10.5 ppb (Jul–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Red Feather Lakes?
Poudre Valley REA (Poudre Valley REA, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 12.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Red Feather Lakes?
CenturyLink, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Red Feather Lakes?
80545. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Red Feather Lakes in?
Poudre School District R-1.
How do I register to vote in Red Feather Lakes?
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 Larimer 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: 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.