Photo: Nyttend · Public domainLiving in Lima, OH: what to set up and who to call
The Lima City water system reported 3 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2, a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule). 90% of systems its size reported none. The closest ER is Mercy Health St. Ritas Medical Center, 0.4 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Lima, 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 Lima.
Power comes from AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio (Ohio Power Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Lima. Its homes paid an average of 19.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $179 a month (its average across Ohio, for customers on its standard service). Ohio lets you buy power from another supplier; 60% of AEP Ohio’s home customers do, and AEP Ohio still delivers it.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Lima City water system
The Lima City water system supplies almost all of Lima. It draws surface water and serves 65,619 people in all.
3 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2, a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule), the latest beginning May 2026. 90% of the 597 systems serving 50,001–100,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Jun 2026, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 0.6 ppb. 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. OH0200811.
9 home internet providers serve Lima
100% of 13,157 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 66% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 97% | 1,000/35 |
| Brightspeed | Fiber, DSL | 70% | 2,000/2,000 |
| TSC | Fiber | 7% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Watch Communications | Fixed wireless | 95% | 400/40 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 82% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 78% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Lima
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Lima, from the town’s own site.
Transfer/Recycling Facility
1400 S. Metcalf St., Lima, OH
- Mon8 am–3:30 pm
- Tue8 am–3:30 pm
- Wed8 am–3:30 pm
- Thu8 am–3:30 pm
- Fri8 am–3:30 pm
The town’s page also lists “First Saturday of the month 8:00 AM-12:00 noon”, which we couldn’t read as opening hours: check the town’s page for those days.
Lima Compost Site
1227 E. Hanthorn Rd.
From limaohio.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. 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.
Most of Lima (62%) is in Lima City School District; parts are in Perry Local School District (13%) and Elida Local School District (12%) and Bath Local School District (9%) and Shawnee Local School District (5%).
CSchool 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 Dec 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Lima spans 4 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Lima residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Lima | ZIP’s residents in Lima |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45801 | Lima, OH | 41% | 63% |
| 45805 | Lima, OH | 33% | 52% |
| 45804 | Lima, OH | 25% | 61% |
| 45807 | Lima, OH | 1% | 4% |
45802 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.
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 Lima
Who supplies Lima’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Lima City water system (EPA ID OH0200811). It reported 3 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2, a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule). 90% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Jun 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Lima?
AEP Ohio (Ohio Power Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 19.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Lima?
Spectrum, Brightspeed, TSC, Watch Communications, AT&T, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Lima?
45801 (41%), 45805 (33%), 45804 (25%), 45807 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Lima in?
Lima City School District. Parts of the city are in Perry Local School District and Elida Local School District and Bath Local School District and Shawnee Local School District.
How do I register to vote in Lima?
In Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Director, Allen County Board of Elections. Check your registration at voterlookup.ohiosos.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: Lima’s own website (limaohio.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 Aug 3, 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.