Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Bernice, LA: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2025 is still open for Town of Bernice Water System. Power in Bernice comes from Claiborne Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Bernice, 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 Bernice.
Power comes from Claiborne Electric Coop
Claiborne Electric Coop (Claiborne Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Bernice. Its homes paid an average of 13.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $153 a month (its average across Louisiana).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Bernice Water System
Town of Bernice Water System supplies Bernice: about 96% of residents live in its service area. About 4% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 1,863 people in all.
19 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×18, a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule), the latest beginning Apr 2026. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2025: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. LA1111001.
3 home internet providers serve Bernice
65% of 702 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 43% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | DSL, Fiber, Fixed wireless | 62% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 61% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 7% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Bernice’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Bernice.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Bernice is in Union Parish School District.
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 Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Bernice is in ZIP code 71222
ZIP codes where Bernice residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Bernice | ZIP’s residents in Bernice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71222 | Bernice, LA | 100% | 44% |
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 Bernice
Who supplies Bernice’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Town of Bernice Water System (EPA ID LA1111001). It reported 19 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×18, a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Bernice?
Claiborne Electric Coop (Claiborne Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 13.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Bernice?
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Bernice?
71222. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Bernice in?
Union Parish School District.
How do I register to vote in Bernice?
In Louisiana you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Union Parish Registrar of Voters. Check your registration at voterportal.sos.la.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 Aug 3, 2026 (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.