Coeur d'Alene Mission of the Sacred Heart · Photo: Idaho Historical Society · Public domainLiving in De Smet, ID: what to set up and who to call
De Smet has no town government of its own, so Benewah County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Plummer-Worley Joint School District 44. The Desmet water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024.
I’m new in town
What to set up in De Smet, 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 De Smet.
Power comes from Avista
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of De Smet. Its homes paid an average of 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $107 a month (its average across Idaho).
Start or move service: avistacorp.com · (509) 489-0500
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Desmet water system
The Desmet water system supplies De Smet: 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 ground water and serves 355 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 6.1 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 93% 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. 101600001.
2 home internet providers serve De Smet
100% of 59 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Spectrum Communications | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 100% | 500/100 |
| Ziply Fiber | Fixed wireless, DSL | 100% | 10/1 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have De Smet’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in De Smet.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
De Smet is in Plummer-Worley Joint School District 44.
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.
No town hall: the county runs things
De Smet is unincorporated, so Benewah County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
De Smet is in ZIP code 83824
ZIP codes where De Smet residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of De Smet | ZIP’s residents in De Smet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83824 | Desmet, ID | 100% | 42% |
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 De Smet
Who supplies De Smet’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Desmet water system (EPA ID 101600001). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 6.1 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in De Smet?
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve De Smet?
Red Spectrum Communications, Ziply Fiber (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in De Smet?
83824. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is De Smet in?
Plummer-Worley Joint School District 44.
How do I register to vote in De Smet?
In Idaho you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 11 days before). Elections here are run by the Benewah County Clerk. Check your registration at elections.sos.idaho.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 Sep 12, 2025 (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.