Photo: Ericaparrott · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Barstow, IL: what to set up and who to call
The latest lead test reported by the East Moline water system, which supplies Barstow, came in at 16.0 ppb (Jan–Jun 2026), above the 15 ppb action level. Barstow has no town government of its own, so Rock Island County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Carbon Cliff-Barstow School District 36.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Barstow, 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 Barstow.
Power comes from MidAmerican Energy
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Barstow. Its homes paid an average of 10.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $74 a month (its average across Illinois).
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 East Moline water system
The East Moline water system supplies Barstow: about 82% of residents live in its service area. About 18% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water (EPA lists Moline and Silvis as sellers) and serves 21,374 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–Jun 2026, was 16.0 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 23.0 ppb. That’s higher than 100% 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. IL1610250.
2 home internet providers serve Barstow
100% of 44 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable | 100% | 2,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 61% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Barstow’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Barstow.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Barstow is in two districts that split the grades: Carbon Cliff-Barstow School District 36 and United Township High School District 30.
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
Barstow is unincorporated, so Rock Island County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Barstow is in ZIP code 61236
ZIP codes where Barstow residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Barstow | ZIP’s residents in Barstow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61236 | Barstow, IL | 100% | 100% |
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 Barstow
Who supplies Barstow’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The East Moline water system (EPA ID IL1610250). 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 16.0 ppb (Jan–Jun 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Barstow?
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 10.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Barstow?
Mediacom Xtream, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Barstow?
61236. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Barstow in?
Carbon Cliff-Barstow School District 36 and United Township High School District 30.
How do I register to vote in Barstow?
In Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before). Elections here are run by the Rock Island County Clerk. Check your registration at ova.elections.il.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.