Living in Pickens, MS: what to set up and who to call
The Big Black W/A-Camden water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. For an emergency, Holmes County Hospital and Clinics is the closest ER, 15.9 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Pickens, 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 Pickens.
Power comes from Entergy Mississippi
Entergy Mississippi (Entergy Mississippi LLC), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Pickens. Its homes paid an average of 13.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $168 a month (its average across Mississippi).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Big Black W/A-Camden water system
The Big Black W/A-Camden water system supplies Pickens: about 41% of residents live in its service area. About 56% 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 1,272 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 1.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 60% 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MS0450004.
5 home internet providers serve Pickens
100% of 483 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparklight | Cable | 98% | 1,000/50 |
| AT&T | DSL | 75% | 10/1 |
| C Spire | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| Netspeedms | Fixed wireless | 56% | 267/152 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 49% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Pickens’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Pickens.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Pickens is in Holmes County Consolidated 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 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Pickens is in ZIP code 39146
ZIP codes where Pickens residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Pickens | ZIP’s residents in Pickens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39146 | Pickens, MS | 100% | 36% |
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 Pickens
Who supplies Pickens’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Big Black W/A-Camden water system (EPA ID MS0450004). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.4 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Pickens?
Entergy Mississippi (Entergy Mississippi LLC), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 13.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Pickens?
Sparklight, AT&T, C Spire, Netspeedms, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Pickens?
39146. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Pickens in?
Holmes County Consolidated School District.
How do I register to vote in Pickens?
Mississippi has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Holmes County Registrar. Check your registration at msegov.com.
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.