Photo: en:User:Cburnett · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Orleans, IA: what to set up and who to call
Spirit Lake Waterworks reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule), beginning Oct 2022. Public schools here are run by Spirit Lake Community School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Orleans, 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 Orleans.
Power comes from Interstate Power and Light
Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Orleans. 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 Spirit Lake Waterworks
Spirit Lake Waterworks supplies Orleans: about 47% of residents live in its service area. About 53% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 6,167 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule), beginning Oct 2022. 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 2023–Dec 2025, was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s lower than 57% 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. IA3070078.
9 home internet providers serve Orleans
100% of 662 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Communications | Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable | 98% | 1,000/50 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 8% | 10/1 |
| Federated Rural Electric Association | Fixed wireless | 100% | 40/3 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 99% | 150/130 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 53% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Curbside recycling in Orleans: twice a month, Fri
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Orleans, from the town’s own site.
Accepted at the curb
- Newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail
- All cardboard
- Paper bags (no plastic bags)
- Aluminum cans
- Steel or tin cans
- Empty aerosol cans
City recycling bin
140th Street, Orleans, one block South and 1/2 block East of City Hall
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check orleansiowa.gov →
From orleansiowa.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated 2026-04-06. 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.
Orleans is in Spirit Lake 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.
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.
Orleans is in ZIP code 51360
ZIP codes where Orleans residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Orleans | ZIP’s residents in Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51360 | Spirit Lake, IA | 100% | 6% |
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 Orleans
Who supplies Orleans’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Spirit Lake Waterworks (EPA ID IA3070078). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule). 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Orleans?
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 Orleans?
Premier Communications, Mediacom Xtream, CenturyLink, Federated Rural Electric Association, GigFire, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Orleans?
51360. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Orleans in?
Spirit Lake Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Orleans?
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 Dickinson 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: Orleans’ own website (orleansiowa.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.