Living in Manchester, MN: what to set up and who to call
The Manchester water system has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 6.0 ppb, was higher than 92% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). Albert Lea Public School District runs the public schools in Manchester.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Manchester, 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 Manchester.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Manchester. 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 Manchester water system
The Manchester water system supplies almost all of Manchester. It draws ground water and serves 53 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 11,392 systems serving <=100 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, was 6.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 92% 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. MN1240014.
5 home internet providers serve Manchester
100% of 41 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester-Hartland Telephone Company | Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Midco | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 98% | 150/130 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 73% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 56% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Manchester’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Manchester.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Manchester is in Albert Lea Public School District.
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 Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Manchester is in ZIP code 56007
ZIP codes where Manchester residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Manchester | ZIP’s residents in Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56007 | Albert Lea, MN | 100% | 0% |
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 Manchester
Who supplies Manchester’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Manchester water system (EPA ID MN1240014). 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 6.0 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Manchester?
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 Manchester?
Manchester-Hartland Telephone Company, Midco, GigFire, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Manchester?
56007. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Manchester in?
Albert Lea Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Manchester?
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 Freeborn 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: 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.