Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Buffalo Lake, MN: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Buffalo Lake comes from the Buffalo Lake 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. The ER is a drive from Buffalo Lake: the closest is Hutchinson Health, 15.8 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Buffalo Lake, 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 Buffalo Lake.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Buffalo Lake. Its homes paid an average of 17.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $105 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Buffalo Lake water system
The Buffalo Lake water system supplies almost all of Buffalo Lake. It draws ground water and serves 703 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 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. The highest in five years was 1.0 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. MN1650003.
8 home internet providers serve Buffalo Lake
100% of 333 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 76% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 2,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 88% | 60/5 |
| Nuvera Communications | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 86% | 60/10 |
| RSFiberCooperative | Fiber | 75% | 1,000/1,000 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 100% | 150/130 |
| Midco | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Buffalo Lake’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Buffalo Lake.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Buffalo Lake is in Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 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 May 2024; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Buffalo Lake is in ZIP code 55314
ZIP codes where Buffalo Lake residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Buffalo Lake | ZIP’s residents in Buffalo Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55314 | Buffalo Lake, MN | 100% | 55% |
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 Buffalo Lake
Who supplies Buffalo Lake’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Buffalo Lake water system (EPA ID MN1650003). 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 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Buffalo Lake?
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Buffalo Lake?
Mediacom Xtream, CenturyLink, Nuvera Communications, RSFiberCooperative, GigFire, Midco (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Buffalo Lake?
55314. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Buffalo Lake in?
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Buffalo Lake?
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 Renville County Courthouse. 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.