Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Bena, MN: what to set up and who to call
Power in Bena comes from Lake Country Power, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. The ER is a drive from Bena: the closest is Cass Lake Indian Health Services Hospital, 19 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Bena, 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 Bena.
Power comes from Lake Country Power
Lake Country Power (Lake Country Power), a cooperative utility, serves all of Bena. Its homes paid an average of 18.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $160 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: lakecountrypower.coop · (800) 421-9959
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Bena water system
The Bena water system supplies Bena: about 22% of residents live in its service area. About 78% 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 112 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, 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. 055294202.
3 home internet providers serve Bena
40% of 86 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARVIG | DSL | 98% | 100/10 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 67% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 40% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Bena’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Bena.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Bena is in Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools.
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 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Bena is in ZIP code 56626
ZIP codes where Bena residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Bena | ZIP’s residents in Bena |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56626 | Bena, MN | 100% | 39% |
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 Bena
Who supplies Bena’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Bena water system (EPA ID 055294202). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Bena?
Lake Country Power (Lake Country Power), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 18.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Bena?
ARVIG, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Bena?
56626. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Bena in?
Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Bena?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Cass County Auditor-Treasurer's Office. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.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: 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.