Photo: IvoShandor · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Ottawa, IL: what to set up and who to call
The Ottawa water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: radium (combined radium-226 and -228), beginning Jul 2023. Ottawa has its own drop-off, Waste Management.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ottawa, 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 Ottawa.
Power comes from Commonwealth Edison
Commonwealth Edison (Commonwealth Edison Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Ottawa. Its homes paid an average of 17.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $107 a month (its average across Illinois, for customers on its standard service). Illinois lets you buy power from another supplier; 20% of Commonwealth Edison’s home customers do, and Commonwealth Edison still delivers it.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ottawa water system
The Ottawa water system supplies almost all of Ottawa. It draws ground water (EPA lists Naplate and Retz Addn Improvement Association as sellers) and serves 18,097 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: radium (combined radium-226 and -228), beginning Jul 2023. 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2026–Dec 2028, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 9.7 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. IL0990800.
7 home internet providers serve Ottawa
100% of 7,725 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 49% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 1,000/50 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless | 68% | 25/3 |
| Surf Internet | Fiber | 47% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Mediacom Bolt | Fixed wireless | 96% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 55% | 300/20 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | 51% | 25/5 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
In Ottawa, you hire your own trash hauler
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Ottawa, from the town’s own site.
Waste Management
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
From cityofottawa.org, 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.
Ottawa is in Ottawa Township High School District 140; parts are in Ottawa Elementary School District 141 (48%) and Rutland Community Consolidated School District 230 (26%) and Wallace Community Consolidated School District 195 (25%).
B−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 Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ottawa is in ZIP code 61350
ZIP codes where Ottawa residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ottawa | ZIP’s residents in Ottawa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61350 | Ottawa, IL | 100% | 79% |
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 Ottawa
Who supplies Ottawa’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Ottawa water system (EPA ID IL0990800). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: radium (combined radium-226 and -228). 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2026–Dec 2028), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ottawa?
Commonwealth Edison (Commonwealth Edison Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Ottawa?
Mediacom Xtream, AT&T, Surf Internet, Mediacom Bolt, Verizon, Rise Broadband (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Ottawa?
61350. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ottawa in?
Ottawa Township High School District 140. Parts of the city are in Ottawa Elementary School District 141 and Rutland Community Consolidated School District 230 and Wallace Community Consolidated School District 195.
How do I register to vote in Ottawa?
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 LaSalle 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: Ottawa’s own website (cityofottawa.org), 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.