Photo: afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0Living in Fessenden, ND: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in most of Fessenden comes from the City of Fessenden water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 23% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection. For an emergency, SMP Health St. Aloisius is the closest ER, 16.4 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Fessenden, 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 Fessenden.
Power comes from Otter Tail Power
Otter Tail Power (Otter Tail Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Fessenden. Its homes paid an average of 11.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $120 a month (its average across North Dakota).
Start or move service: ottertail.com · (866) 410-8780
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Fessenden water system
The City of Fessenden water system supplies Fessenden: about 50% of residents live in its service area. About 50% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It buys treated ground water (EPA lists Central Plains Water District as seller) and serves 479 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. ND5200338.
3 home internet providers serve Fessenden
100% of 391 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Telephone Company | Fiber | 100% | 10,000/10,000 |
| Midco | Cable | 99% | 1,250/250 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 70% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Fessenden’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Fessenden.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Fessenden is in Fessenden-Bowdon Public School District 25.
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 Oct 2022; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
Fessenden is in ZIP code 58438
ZIP codes where Fessenden residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Fessenden | ZIP’s residents in Fessenden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58438 | Fessenden, ND | 100% | 69% |
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 Fessenden
Who supplies Fessenden’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Fessenden water system (EPA ID ND5200338). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Fessenden?
Otter Tail Power (Otter Tail Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Fessenden?
North Dakota Telephone Company, Midco, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Fessenden?
58438. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Fessenden in?
Fessenden-Bowdon Public School District 25.
How do I register to vote in Fessenden?
North Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls. Elections here are run by the Wells County Auditor. Check your registration at vip.sos.nd.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: 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 Jul 30, 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.