Living in Thomastown Township, MN: what to set up and who to call
Power in Thomastown Township comes from Todd-Wadena Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. West Central Telephone Association wires most of Thomastown Township, and 95% of addresses can get fiber.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Thomastown 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 Thomastown Township.
Power comes from Todd-Wadena Electric Coop
Todd-Wadena Electric Coop (Todd-Wadena Electric Coop), a cooperative utility, serves all of Thomastown Township.
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 Thomastown 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 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.
5 home internet providers serve Thomastown Township
96% of 398 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 95% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Telephone Association | Fiber | 67% | 1,000/1,000 |
| ARVIG | Fiber | 30% | 1,000/500 |
| Spectrum | Cable | 2% | 1,000/1,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 10% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 5% | 25/6 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Thomastown Township’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Thomastown Township.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Thomastown Township (81%) is in Staples-Motley School District; parts are in Verndale Public School District (19%).
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 Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Thomastown Township spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Thomastown Township residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Thomastown Township | ZIP’s residents in Thomastown Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56479 | Staples, MN | 93% | 14% |
| 56481 | Verndale, MN | 7% | 3% |
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 Thomastown Township
Who supplies Thomastown 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 Thomastown Township?
Todd-Wadena Electric Coop (Todd-Wadena Electric Coop), a cooperative utility.
What internet providers serve Thomastown Township?
West Central Telephone Association, ARVIG, Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Thomastown Township?
56479 (93%), 56481 (7%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Thomastown Township in?
Staples-Motley School District. Parts of the city are in Verndale Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Thomastown 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 Wadena 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.