Photo: Bobjgalindo · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Winchester, ID: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2026 is still open for Winchester Water Dept. The nearest emergency room is St. Mary's Hospital, 18.5 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Winchester, 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 Winchester.
Power comes from Avista
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Winchester. 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 Winchester Water Dept
Winchester Water Dept supplies almost all of Winchester. It draws ground water and serves 400 people in all.
2 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2, the latest beginning May 2026. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none. 2 older violations are still open, since 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 4.0 ppb. That’s higher than 52% 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. ID2310007.
3 home internet providers serve Winchester
0% of 180 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink | DSL | 76% | 60/5 |
| Airbridge Broadband | Fixed wireless | 99% | 400/400 |
| First Step Internet | Fixed wireless | 87% | 25/4 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Winchester
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Winchester, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check winchesterid.gov →
From winchesterid.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 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.
Winchester is in Highland Joint School District 305.
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 Aug 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Winchester is in ZIP code 83555
ZIP codes where Winchester residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Winchester | ZIP’s residents in Winchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83555 | Winchester, ID | 100% | 69% |
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 Winchester
Who supplies Winchester’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Winchester Water Dept (EPA ID ID2310007). It reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2. 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Winchester?
Avista (Avista Corp.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Winchester?
CenturyLink, Airbridge Broadband, First Step Internet (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Winchester?
83555. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Winchester in?
Highland Joint School District 305.
How do I register to vote in Winchester?
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 Lewis 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: Winchester’s own website (winchesterid.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 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.