Merchants' National Bank · Photo: Einar Einarsson Kvaran aka Carptrash · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Grinnell, IA: what to set up and who to call
Grinnell Water Department reported 14 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: radium (combined radium-226 and -228) ×9, radioactivity (gross alpha, excluding radon and uranium) ×5. 80% of systems its size reported none. The closest public drop-off to Grinnell is City of Grinnell Brush/Compost Facility, 2 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Grinnell, 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 Grinnell.
Power comes from Interstate Power and Light
Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Grinnell. Its homes paid an average of 17.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $131 a month (its average across Iowa).
Start or move service: alliantenergy.com · (319) 786-4411
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Grinnell Water Department
Grinnell Water Department supplies almost all of Grinnell. It draws ground water and serves 9,564 people in all.
14 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: radium (combined radium-226 and -228) ×9, radioactivity (gross alpha, excluding radon and uranium) ×5, the latest beginning Apr 2026. 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 2026, was 4.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 10.4 ppb. That’s higher than 87% 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. IA7930008.
7 home internet providers serve Grinnell
100% of 3,129 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCG | Fiber | 100% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 1,000/50 |
| Kinetic | Fiber, DSL, Fixed wireless | 90% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 75% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 67% | 100/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 51% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Grinnell
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Grinnell, from the town’s own site.
Public Services Department recycling drop-off center
1411 1st Avenue, Grinnell, IA
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
Brush & Compost Facility
3973 20th Street, Grinnell
From grinnelliowa.gov, 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.
Grinnell is in Grinnell-Newburg Community School District.
BSchool 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 Aug 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Grinnell is in ZIP code 50112
ZIP codes where Grinnell residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Grinnell | ZIP’s residents in Grinnell |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50112 | Grinnell, IA | 100% | 81% |
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 Grinnell
Who supplies Grinnell’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Grinnell Water Department (EPA ID IA7930008). It reported 14 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: radium (combined radium-226 and -228) ×9, radioactivity (gross alpha, excluding radon and uranium) ×5. 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 4.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Grinnell?
Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Grinnell?
MCG, Mediacom Xtream, Kinetic, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Grinnell?
50112. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Grinnell in?
Grinnell-Newburg Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Grinnell?
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 Poweshiek 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: Grinnell’s own website (grinnelliowa.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.