Benham Historic District · Photo: Acdixon · CC0Living in Benham, KY: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2025 is still open for Benham Water Plant. Harlan County School District runs the public schools in Benham.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Benham, 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 Benham.
Power comes from KU
KU (Kentucky Utilities Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves 96.1% of Benham residents. Its homes paid an average of 11.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $138 a month (its average across Kentucky).
Start or move service: lge-ku.com · (800) 981-0600
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Benham Water Plant
Benham Water Plant supplies Benham: about 90% of residents live in its service area. About 10% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 855 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule), beginning Mar 2025. 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2025: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. KY0480028.
1 home internet providers serve Benham
100% of 259 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Cable | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 2,000/2,000 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Benham’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Benham.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Benham is in Harlan County School District.
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 Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Benham spans 3 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Benham residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Benham | ZIP’s residents in Benham |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40807 | Benham, KY | 92% | 99% |
| 40855 | Lynch, KY | 4% | 3% |
| 40823 | Cumberland, KY | 4% | 1% |
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 Benham
Who supplies Benham’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Benham Water Plant (EPA ID KY0480028). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Benham?
KU (Kentucky Utilities Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Benham?
Access Cable (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Benham?
40807 (92%), 40855 (4%), 40823 (4%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Benham in?
Harlan County School District.
How do I register to vote in Benham?
In Kentucky you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before). Elections here are run by the Harlan County Clerk. Check your registration at vrsws.sos.ky.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 Nov 18, 2024 (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.