Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Living in Rifle, CO: what to set up and who to call
The City of Rifle water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: disinfection byproducts (TTHM), beginning Oct 2023. The nearest emergency room is Grand River Hospital District, 23.5 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Rifle, 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 Rifle.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Rifle. Its homes paid an average of 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Colorado).
Start or move service: xcelenergy.com · (800) 895-4999
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Rifle water system
The City of Rifle water system supplies almost all of Rifle. It draws surface water and serves 9,489 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM), beginning Oct 2023. 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 1.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 1.7 ppb. That’s higher than 58% 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. CO0123676.
7 home internet providers serve Rifle
100% of 3,121 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 1% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 99% | 1,200/35 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 17% | 40/3 |
| Kellin Communications | Fixed wireless | 97% | 1,000/220 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | 95% | 100/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 59% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 22% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Rifle
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Rifle, from the town’s own site.
Accepted at the curb
- Glass: consisting of clear and colored bottles
- Plastics #1-#7
- Aluminum and tin
- Newsprint
- Magazines
- Paperboard-cake boxes, cereal boxes, soda & pop boxes, beer cartons
- Catalogs
- Phone books
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check rifleco.org →
From rifleco.org, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. 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.
Rifle is in Garfield School District RE-2.
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 Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Rifle is in ZIP code 81650
ZIP codes where Rifle residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Rifle | ZIP’s residents in Rifle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81650 | Rifle, CO | 100% | 73% |
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 Rifle
Who supplies Rifle’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Rifle water system (EPA ID CO0123676). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM). 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.4 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Rifle?
Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Rifle?
Xfinity, CenturyLink, Kellin Communications, Rise Broadband, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Rifle?
81650. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Rifle in?
Garfield School District RE-2.
How do I register to vote in Rifle?
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 Garfield 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: Rifle’s own website (rifleco.org), 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.