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The Bristow handbook

Living in Bristow, IA: what to set up and who to call

Bristow Muni Water Supply reported 4 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: nitrate ×4. 77% of systems its size reported none. Children in Bristow attend North Butler Community School District.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Bristow, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Bristow.

Electricity

Power comes from MidAmerican Energy

MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Bristow. Its homes paid an average of 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Iowa).

Start or move service: midamericanenergy.com · (888) 427-5632

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Drinking water · reported to EPA

Water comes from Bristow Muni Water Supply

Bristow Muni Water Supply supplies Bristow: about 87% of residents live in its service area. About 13% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 145 people in all.

4 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: nitrate ×4, the latest beginning Apr 2026. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none.

Lead, 90th percentile1.2 ppb
015 ppb action level20

The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 1.2 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 60% 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. IA1222044.

Internet

3 home internet providers serve Bristow

100% of 92 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Rockwell Cooperative TelephoneFiber100%1,000/1,000
T-MobileFixed wireless79%100/20
GigFireFixed wireless42%100/20

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Bristow’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Bristow.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Bristow or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Bristow kids go to
PK–6North Butler Elementaryin Allison
7–12North Butler Jr/Sr High Schoolin Greene

Bristow is in North Butler Community School District.

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.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Bristow is in ZIP code 50611

ZIP codes where Bristow residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of BristowZIP’s residents in Bristow
50611Bristow, IA100%43%
Area code641Wikidata

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

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 Bristow

Who supplies Bristow’s drinking water, and has it had violations?

Bristow Muni Water Supply (EPA ID IA1222044). It reported 4 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: nitrate ×4. 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.2 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.

Who provides electricity in Bristow?

MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Bristow?

Rockwell Cooperative Telephone, T-Mobile, GigFire (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Bristow?

50611. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Bristow in?

North Butler Community School District.

How do I register to vote in Bristow?

In Iowa 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 Butler County Auditor. Check your registration at sos.iowa.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.