Living in Wainaku, HI: what to set up and who to call
Wainaku has no town government of its own, so Hawaii County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Hawaii Department of Education. The closest public drop-off to Wainaku is Atlas Recycling Center, 1 mile out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Wainaku, 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 Wainaku.
Power comes from Hawaii Electric Light Co
Hawaii Electric Light Co (Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Wainaku. Its homes paid an average of 45.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $206 a month (its average across Hawaii).
Start or move service: hawaiielectriclight.com · (808) 969-6999
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Hilo water system
The Hilo water system supplies almost all of Wainaku. It draws ground water and serves 39,477 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 2020–Dec 2022, 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. HI0000101.
3 home internet providers serve Wainaku
99% of 464 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 97% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 98% | 1,000/35 |
| Hawaiian Telcom | Fiber, DSL | 97% | 2,850/2,850 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 57% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 1 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Wainaku.
Atlas Recycling Center
This isn’t Wainaku’s own facility. Whether Wainaku residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Wainaku is in Hawaii Department of Education.
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
Wainaku is unincorporated, so Hawaii County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Wainaku is in ZIP code 96720
ZIP codes where Wainaku residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Wainaku | ZIP’s residents in Wainaku |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96720 | Hilo, HI | 100% | 2% |
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 Wainaku
Who supplies Wainaku’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Hilo water system (EPA ID HI0000101). 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 0.0 ppb (Jan 2020–Dec 2022), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Wainaku?
Hawaii Electric Light Co (Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 45.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Wainaku?
Spectrum, Hawaiian Telcom, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Wainaku?
96720. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Wainaku in?
Hawaii Department of Education.
How do I register to vote in Wainaku?
In Hawaii you can register online up to and including Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Hawaii County Clerk. Check your registration at olvr.hawaii.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.