Hugo Community Baptist Church · Photo: NoeHill · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Merlin, OR: what to set up and who to call
Merlin has no town government of its own, so Josephine County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Three Rivers School District. The Sky Crest Heights Homeowners water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), beginning Dec 2023.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Merlin, 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 Merlin.
Power comes from Pacific Power
Pacific Power (PacifiCorp), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Merlin. Its homes paid an average of 15.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $133 a month (its average across Oregon).
Start or move service: pacificorp.com · (888) 221-7070
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Sky Crest Heights Homeowners water system
The Sky Crest Heights Homeowners water system supplies Merlin: about 20% of residents live in its service area. City of Grants Pass serves another 6%. About 76% 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 44 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), beginning Dec 2023. 78% of the 11,392 systems serving <=100 people had none.
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. OR4100344.
5 home internet providers serve Merlin
90% of 779 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 27% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 89% | 1,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 62% | 60/5 |
| Webformix | Fixed wireless | 12% | 200/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 9% | 25/6 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 6% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Merlin’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Merlin.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Merlin is in Three Rivers School District.
C−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Merlin is unincorporated, so Josephine County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Merlin spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Merlin residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Merlin | ZIP’s residents in Merlin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97532 | Merlin, OR | 77% | 52% |
| 97526 | Grants Pass, OR | 23% | 1% |
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 Merlin
Who supplies Merlin’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Sky Crest Heights Homeowners water system (EPA ID OR4100344). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule). 78% 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 Merlin?
Pacific Power (PacifiCorp), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Merlin?
Spectrum, CenturyLink, Webformix, Verizon, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Merlin?
97532 (77%), 97526 (23%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Merlin in?
Three Rivers School District.
How do I register to vote in Merlin?
In Oregon you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Josephine County Clerk, Elections Office. Check your registration at sos.oregon.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 Oct 2, 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.