Photo: MayorMetz · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Staples Township, MN: what to set up and who to call
Power in Staples Township comes from Todd-Wadena Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. For a library card, the closest branch is Staples Public Library, 4.3 miles out.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Staples 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 Staples Township.
Power comes from Todd-Wadena Electric Coop
Todd-Wadena Electric Coop (Todd-Wadena Electric Coop), a cooperative utility, serves 85.9% of Staples Township residents.
Start or move service: toddwadena.coop · (218) 631-3120
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Staples water system
The Staples water system supplies Staples Township: about 17% of residents live in its service area. About 83% 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 3,089 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 Jul–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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1770011.
7 home internet providers serve Staples Township
98% of 344 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 81% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Telephone Association | Fiber | 76% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 22% | 1,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 8% | 10/1 |
| ARVIG | Fiber | 2% | 1,000/500 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 27% | 100/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 26% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Staples Township’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Staples Township.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Staples Township is in Staples-Motley 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 Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Staples Township is in ZIP code 56479
ZIP codes where Staples Township residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Staples Township | ZIP’s residents in Staples Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56479 | Staples, MN | 100% | 11% |
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 Staples Township
Who supplies Staples Township’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Staples water system (EPA ID MN1770011). 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 (Jul–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Staples Township?
Todd-Wadena Electric Coop (Todd-Wadena Electric Coop), a cooperative utility.
What internet providers serve Staples Township?
West Central Telephone Association, Spectrum, CenturyLink, ARVIG, AT&T, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Staples Township?
56479. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Staples Township in?
Staples-Motley School District.
How do I register to vote in Staples 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 Todd County Historic 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.