Living in Panama, NE: what to set up and who to call
Power in Panama comes from Norris Public Power District, a political subdivision utility rather than a private company. The ER is a drive from Panama: the closest is Bryan Medical Center, 15.5 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Panama, 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 Panama.
Power comes from Norris Public Power District
Norris Public Power District (Norris Public Power District), a political subdivision utility, serves all of Panama. Its homes paid an average of 9.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $148 a month (its average across Nebraska).
Start or move service: norrisppd.com · (402) 223-4038
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Village of Panama water system
The Village of Panama water system supplies Panama: about 54% of residents live in its service area. About 46% 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 Lancaster Co RWD 1 as seller) and serves 250 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 1.9 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 2.0 ppb. That’s higher than 69% 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. NE3110908.
5 home internet providers serve Panama
96% of 124 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinetic | DSL, Fixed wireless | 98% | 200/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 86% | 300/20 |
| Nextlink | Fixed wireless | 53% | 500/100 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 35% | 150/130 |
| Big Red Communications | Fixed wireless | 31% | 200/100 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Panama’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Panama.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Panama is in Norris School District 160.
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 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Panama is in ZIP code 68419
ZIP codes where Panama residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Panama | ZIP’s residents in Panama |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68419 | Panama, NE | 100% | 95% |
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 Panama
Who supplies Panama’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Village of Panama water system (EPA ID NE3110908). 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 1.9 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Panama?
Norris Public Power District (Norris Public Power District), a political subdivision utility. Its homes paid about 9.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Panama?
Kinetic, Verizon, Nextlink, GigFire, Big Red Communications (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Panama?
68419. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Panama in?
Norris School District 160.
How do I register to vote in Panama?
In Nebraska you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person until 11 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before). Elections here are run by the Lancaster Election Commissioner. Check your registration at votercheck.necvr.ne.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 Sep 30, 2026 (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.