Photo: Lrgjr72 · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Ferndale, MI: what to set up and who to call
The Ferndale water system has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 9.0 ppb, was higher than 97% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). New voters sign up with the Ferndale City Clerk, which runs Ferndale’s elections.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ferndale, 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 Ferndale.
Power comes from DTE
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Ferndale. Its homes paid an average of 20.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $126 a month (its average across Michigan, for customers on its standard service). Michigan lets you buy power from another supplier; 0% of DTE’s home customers do, and DTE still delivers it.
Start or move service: www.dteenergy.com · (800) 477-4747
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ferndale water system
The Ferndale water system supplies almost all of Ferndale. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Great Lakes Water Authority as seller) and serves 22,105 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 9.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 11.0 ppb. That’s higher than 97% of similar systems’ latest results.
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. MI0002280.
5 home internet providers serve Ferndale
100% of 9,452 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 68% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 100% | 2,000/250 |
| WOW! | Cable | 95% | 1,200/50 |
| AT&T | Fiber, DSL, Fixed wireless | 95% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 85% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 54% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Ferndale depends on your street
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Ferndale, from the town’s own site.
Your pickup week
- TrashEvery week, on your street’s dayThe town’s pickup schedule (PDF)
- RecyclingEvery week
From ferndalemi.gov, 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.
Most of Ferndale (76%) is in Ferndale Public Schools; parts are in Hazel Park City School District (24%).
C−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 Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ferndale is in ZIP code 48220
ZIP codes where Ferndale residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ferndale | ZIP’s residents in Ferndale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48220 | Ferndale, MI | 100% | 89% |
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 Ferndale
Who supplies Ferndale’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Ferndale water system (EPA ID MI0002280). 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 9.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ferndale?
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 20.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Ferndale?
Xfinity, WOW!, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Ferndale?
48220. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ferndale in?
Ferndale Public Schools. Parts of the city are in Hazel Park City School District.
How do I register to vote in Ferndale?
In Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Ferndale City Clerk. Check your registration at mvic.sos.state.mi.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: Ferndale’s own website (ferndalemi.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 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.