Living in Helena, SC: what to set up and who to call
Helena has no town government of its own, so Newberry County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Newberry County School District. Tap water in Helena comes from the Newberry City of (3610001) water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 20% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Helena, 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 Helena.
Power comes from Newberry Electric Coop
Newberry Electric Coop (Newberry Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Helena. Its homes paid an average of 17.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $172 a month (its average across South Carolina).
Start or move service: nec.coop · (800) 479-8838
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Newberry City of (3610001) water system
The Newberry City of (3610001) water system supplies almost all of Helena. It draws surface water and serves 9,947 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, 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. SC3610001.
7 home internet providers serve Helena
100% of 439 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 87% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 96% | 1,200/35 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless | 92% | 75/20 |
| CarolinaConnect Cooperative | Fiber | 77% | 1,000/1,000 |
| West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative | Fiber | 23% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Spectrum | Fiber | 22% | 1,000/1,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 73% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 3 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Helena.
Newberry County Collection Center
This isn’t Helena’s own facility. Whether Helena residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Helena is in Newberry County School District.
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.
No town hall: the county runs things
Helena is unincorporated, so Newberry County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Oct 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Helena is in ZIP code 29108
ZIP codes where Helena residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Helena | ZIP’s residents in Helena |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29108 | Newberry, SC | 100% | 4% |
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 Helena
Who supplies Helena’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Newberry City of (3610001) water system (EPA ID SC3610001). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Helena?
Newberry Electric Coop (Newberry Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 17.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Helena?
Xfinity, AT&T, CarolinaConnect Cooperative, West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative, Spectrum, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Helena?
29108. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Helena in?
Newberry County School District.
How do I register to vote in Helena?
In South Carolina 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 Newberry Board of Voter Registration. Check your registration at vrems.scvotes.sc.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 12, 2025 (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.