Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Orleans, MA: what to set up and who to call
There is no curbside pickup in Orleans: residents take trash to Orleans Transfer Station. Orleans runs its own elections, so the Orleans Town Clerk, not a county office, keeps the voter rolls.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Orleans, 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 Orleans.
Power comes from Eversource
Eversource (NSTAR Electric Co., doing business as Eversource), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Orleans. Its homes paid an average of 21.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $102 a month (its average across Massachusetts, for customers on its standard service). Massachusetts lets you buy power from another supplier; 76% of Eversource’s home customers do, and Eversource still delivers it.
Start or move service: nstar.com · (800) 592-2000
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Orleans Water Department
Orleans Water Department supplies almost all of Orleans. It draws ground water and serves 17,460 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–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 1.8 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MA4224000.
4 home internet providers serve Orleans
100% of 4,685 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 100% | 2,000/250 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 30% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 36% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 25% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
No curbside pickup in Orleans: trash goes to the transfer station
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Orleans, from the town’s own site.
Orleans Transfer Station
56 Lots Hollow Road, Orleans, MA 02653
- Mon7:30 am–3 pm
- Tue7:30 am–3 pm
- Fri7:30 am–3 pm
- Sat7:30 am–3 pm
- Sun7:30 am–3 pm
Cost: Transfer Station sticker $195.00 for 1st and 3rd vehicle; $40.00 for 2nd and 4th vehicle (2026 fees)
From orleansma.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated 2026-09-27. 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.
Orleans is in two districts that split the grades: Nauset School District and Orleans 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 Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Orleans is in ZIP code 02653
ZIP codes where Orleans residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Orleans | ZIP’s residents in Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02653 | Orleans, MA | 100% | 100% |
A few homes fall in 02643.
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 Orleans
Who supplies Orleans’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Orleans Water Department (EPA ID MA4224000). 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 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Orleans?
Eversource (NSTAR Electric Co., doing business as Eversource), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 21.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Orleans?
Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Orleans?
02653. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Orleans in?
Nauset School District and Orleans School District.
How do I register to vote in Orleans?
In Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Orleans Town Clerk. Check your registration at sec.state.ma.us.
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: Orleans’ own website (orleansma.gov), 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 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.