Howard Lake City Hall · Photo: William Wesen Appraiser · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Howard Lake, MN: what to set up and who to call
The Howard Lake water system has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 15.0 ppb, was higher than 99% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). For an emergency, Hutchinson Health is the closest ER, 19.3 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Howard 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 Howard Lake.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility, serves 81.8% of Howard Lake residents. 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 Howard Lake water system
The Howard Lake water system supplies almost all of Howard Lake. It draws ground water and serves 2,180 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 2022–Dec 2024, was 15.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 99% 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1860010.
7 home internet providers serve Howard Lake
100% of 946 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 8% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable | 100% | 2,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 84% | 100/10 |
| Nuvera Communications | Fiber | 8% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Broadband | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 65% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 34% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Howard Lake
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Howard Lake, from the town’s own site.
City of Howard Lake Compost Site
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
Wright County Compost and Recycling Facility
505 County Road 37 NE Buffalo, MN 55313
From howard-lake.mn.us, the town’s official site, checked Oct 22, 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.
Howard Lake is in Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted.
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 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Howard Lake is in ZIP code 55349
ZIP codes where Howard Lake residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Howard Lake | ZIP’s residents in Howard Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55349 | Howard Lake, MN | 100% | 52% |
55575 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.
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 Howard Lake
Who supplies Howard Lake’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Howard Lake water system (EPA ID MN1860010). 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 15.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Howard 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 Howard Lake?
Mediacom Xtream, CenturyLink, Nuvera Communications, Broadband, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Howard Lake?
55349. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Howard Lake in?
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted.
How do I register to vote in Howard 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 Wright County Government Center. 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: Howard Lake’s own website (howard-lake.mn.us), read Oct 22, 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.