Photo: Mostly Iowa Edits · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Van Meter, IA: what to set up and who to call
In Van Meter, trash day is Monday (Waste Connections Inc collects). Children in Van Meter attend Van Meter Community School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Van Meter, 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 Van Meter.
Power comes from MidAmerican Energy
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Van Meter. 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.
Water comes from Xenia RWD (Des Moines)
Xenia RWD (Des Moines) supplies Van Meter: about 33% of residents live in its service area. About 67% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Ciww (Dmww) and Warren Water District as sellers) and serves 12,860 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 2024–Dec 2026, was 1.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 62% 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. IA2573701.
8 home internet providers serve Van Meter
99% of 598 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 11% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 96% | 1,000/50 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 90% | 40/3 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 8% | 2,000/1,000 |
| Dallas County Data | Fixed wireless | 79% | 50/5 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 70% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 59% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Van Meter is Monday
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Van Meter, from the town’s own site.
This month
- TrashEvery week
- RecyclingEvery other week, Mon · which week: vanmeteria.gov
Accepted at the curb
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Glass food and beverage containers
- Tin/aluminum containers
- All plastics
- Brown paper sacks
- Phone books
- Cardboard boxes folded flat
Van Meter City Hall
310 Mill Street, Van Meter, IA 50261
Metro Waste Authority
1105 Prairie Drive SW – Bondurant, IA 50035
From vanmeteria.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 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.
Van Meter is in Van Meter Community School District.
A+School 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 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Van Meter is in ZIP code 50261
ZIP codes where Van Meter residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Van Meter | ZIP’s residents in Van Meter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50261 | Van Meter, IA | 100% | 49% |
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 Van Meter
Who supplies Van Meter’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Xenia RWD (Des Moines) (EPA ID IA2573701). 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 1.7 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Van Meter?
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Van Meter?
Mediacom Xtream, CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber, Dallas County Data, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Van Meter?
50261. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Van Meter in?
Van Meter Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Van Meter?
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 Dallas County Elections Office. 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: Van Meter’s own website (vanmeteria.gov), read Oct 23, 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.