Living in Start, LA: what to set up and who to call
Start has no town government of its own, so Richland Parish runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Richland Parish School District. Tap water in most of Start comes from Start Water System, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Start, 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 Start.
Power comes from Northeast Louisiana Power Coop
Northeast Louisiana Power Coop (Northeast Louisiana Power Coop Inc.), a cooperative utility, serves all of Start. Its homes paid an average of 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $159 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 Start Water System
Start Water System supplies Start: about 79% of residents live in its service area. About 21% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water (EPA lists Town of Rayville Water System as seller) and serves 2,514 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. LA1083007.
4 home internet providers serve Start
95% of 404 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 93% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClearPath Fiber | Fiber | 88% | 5,000/5,000 |
| AT&T | Fiber, DSL, Fixed wireless | 73% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 81% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 79% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Start’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Start.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Start is in Richland Parish 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.
No town hall: the county runs things
Start is unincorporated, so Richland Parish is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Start spans 3 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Start residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Start | ZIP’s residents in Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71269 | Rayville, LA | 79% | 6% |
| 71264 | Oak Ridge, LA | 16% | 17% |
| 71279 | Start, LA | 5% | 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 Start
Who supplies Start’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Start Water System (EPA ID LA1083007). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 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 Start?
Northeast Louisiana Power Coop (Northeast Louisiana Power Coop Inc.), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Start?
ClearPath Fiber, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Start?
71269 (79%), 71264 (16%), 71279 (5%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Start in?
Richland Parish School District.
How do I register to vote in Start?
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 Richland 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.