Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Pine River Township, MN: what to set up and who to call
Pine River Township has its own drop-off, Pine River Transfer Station, on 1705 MN 371 SW. For an emergency, Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center is the closest ER, 30 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Pine River Township, 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 Pine River Township.
Power comes from Minnesota Power
Minnesota Power (ALLETE, Inc.), an investor-owned utility, serves 54.0% of Pine River Township residents. Its homes paid an average of 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $107 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: mnpower.com · (218) 722-2625
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Pine River water system
The Pine River water system supplies Pine River Township: about 0% of residents live in its service area. About 100% 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 939 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–Jun 2026, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 4.0 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. MN1110019.
4 home internet providers serve Pine River Township
49% of 659 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 24% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TDS Telecom | DSL, Fiber | 63% | 50/10 |
| Tri-Co Technologies, LLC dba Tremolo Communications | Fiber | 27% | 2,500/2,500 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 8% | 1,000/1,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 42% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Pine River Township has its own drop-off: Pine River Transfer Station
Where to take trash and recycling in Pine River Township, and where the rules are.
Pine River Transfer Station
1705 MN 371 SW, Backus, MN, 56435
Before you go, check the rules on pinerivermn.com.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Nov 2025). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Pine River Township is in Pine River-Backus Public School District.
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 Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Pine River Township spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Pine River Township residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Pine River Township | ZIP’s residents in Pine River Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56435 | Backus, MN | 65% | 30% |
| 56474 | Pine River, MN | 35% | 9% |
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 Pine River Township
Who supplies Pine River Township’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Pine River water system (EPA ID MN1110019). 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–Jun 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Pine River Township?
Minnesota Power (ALLETE, Inc.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Pine River Township?
TDS Telecom, Tri-Co Technologies, LLC dba Tremolo Communications, Spectrum, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Pine River Township?
56435 (65%), 56474 (35%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Pine River Township in?
Pine River-Backus Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Pine River Township?
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.