Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Kanawha

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
The Kanawha handbook

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

Every home in Kanawha is in ZIP code 50447. Kanawha Public Library, 0.1 miles away, is the closest library to Kanawha.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Kanawha, 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 Kanawha.

Electricity

Power comes from Interstate Power and Light

Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Kanawha. 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.

Drinking water · reported to EPA

Water comes from Kanawha Water Supply

Kanawha Water Supply supplies almost all of Kanawha. It draws ground water and serves 658 people in all.

No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people.

Lead, 90th percentile2.5 ppb
015 ppb action level20

The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 2.5 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 78% 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. IA4150014.

Internet

5 home internet providers serve Kanawha

100% of 361 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Comm 1 ConnectsFiber100%1,000/1,000
GigFireFixed wireless91%150/130
T-MobileFixed wireless88%100/20
NextlinkFixed wireless46%100/20
Northwest CommunicationsFixed wireless22%25/5

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

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Kanawha’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Kanawha.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Kanawha 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.

Kanawha kids go to
PK–4West Hancock Elementary Schoolin Britt
5–8West Hancock Middle SchoolWest Hancock Community School District
9–12West Hancock High Schoolin Britt

Kanawha is in West Hancock 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 Sep 2022; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Kanawha is in ZIP code 50447

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

ZIPPost office nameShare of KanawhaZIP’s residents in Kanawha
50447Kanawha, IA100%63%

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 Kanawha

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

Kanawha Water Supply (EPA ID IA4150014). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.5 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.

Who provides electricity in Kanawha?

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 Kanawha?

Comm 1 Connects, GigFire, T-Mobile, Nextlink, Northwest Communications (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Kanawha?

50447. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Kanawha in?

West Hancock Community School District.

How do I register to vote in Kanawha?

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 Hancock 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.