Eagle Nest · Photo: Tradewinds · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Richlands, NC: what to set up and who to call
Thursday is trash day in Richlands. Onslow Wtr and Sewer Authority 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.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Richlands, 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 Richlands.
Power comes from Jones-Onslow Elec Member
Jones-Onslow Elec Member (Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp), a cooperative utility, serves all of Richlands. Its homes paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $151 a month (its average across North Carolina).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Onslow Wtr and Sewer Authority
Onslow Wtr and Sewer Authority supplies Richlands: about 61% of residents live in its service area. About 39% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water (EPA lists City of Jacksonville and Northwest Onslow Water Assoc and Usmc Lejeune--New River Air St and Town of Surf City as sellers) and serves 156,755 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. 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–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. NC0467035.
5 home internet providers serve Richlands
99% of 949 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 55% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 94% | 1,000/35 |
| Brightspeed | Fiber, DSL | 66% | 2,000/2,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 52% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 11% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 4% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Richlands is Thursday
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Richlands, from the town’s own site.
This month
- TrashEvery week
- RecyclingEvery other week, Thu · which week: richlandsnc.gov
From richlandsnc.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated 2026-09-17T15:37:35+00:00, 2026-09-18, 2026-09-18T00:31:52+00:00, 2026-09-18T01:08:20+00:00, 2026-09-18T12:46:36+00:00. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Richlands is in Onslow County Schools.
B−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 May 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Richlands is in ZIP code 28574
ZIP codes where Richlands residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Richlands | ZIP’s residents in Richlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28574 | Richlands, NC | 100% | 12% |
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 Richlands
Who supplies Richlands’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Onslow Wtr and Sewer Authority (EPA ID NC0467035). 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). 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Richlands?
Jones-Onslow Elec Member (Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Richlands?
Spectrum, Brightspeed, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Richlands?
28574. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Richlands in?
Onslow County Schools.
How do I register to vote in Richlands?
In North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before). Elections here are run by the Onslow County Board of Elections. Check your registration at vt.ncsbe.gov.
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: Richlands’ own website (richlandsnc.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- 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.