Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Potlatch, ID: what to set up and who to call
Tuesday is trash day in Potlatch. The City of Potlatch 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 Potlatch, 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 Potlatch.
Power comes from Avista
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Potlatch. 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 City of Potlatch water system
The City of Potlatch water system supplies almost all of Potlatch. It draws ground water and serves 812 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. 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 1.0 ppb. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
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. ID2290030.
5 home internet providers serve Potlatch
95% of 352 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 95% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ziply Fiber | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 94% | 6,000/6,000 |
| First Step Internet | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 92% | 25/4 |
| Airbridge Broadband | Fixed wireless | 100% | 300/300 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 89% | 300/20 |
| Inland Cellular | Fixed wireless | 88% | 50/5 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Potlatch is Tuesday
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Potlatch, from the town’s own site.
This month
- TrashEvery week
Accepted at the curb
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Catalogs
- Paperback books
- Junk mail
- Phone books
- Wrapping paper
Moscow Recycling Center
401 N Jackson Street, Moscow
From cityofpotlatch.org, the town’s official site, checked Oct 22, 2026; pages dated 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.
Potlatch is in Potlatch School District 285.
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 Jul 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Potlatch is in ZIP code 83855
ZIP codes where Potlatch residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Potlatch | ZIP’s residents in Potlatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83855 | Potlatch, ID | 100% | 36% |
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 Potlatch
Who supplies Potlatch’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Potlatch water system (EPA ID ID2290030). 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). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Potlatch?
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Potlatch?
Ziply Fiber, First Step Internet, Airbridge Broadband, Verizon, Inland Cellular (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Potlatch?
83855. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Potlatch in?
Potlatch School District 285.
How do I register to vote in Potlatch?
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 Latah 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: Potlatch’s own website (cityofpotlatch.org), read Oct 22, 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 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.