Hagood Mill · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Pickens, SC: what to set up and who to call
The Pickens WTP (Sc3910001) water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: disinfection byproducts (HAA5), beginning Jul 2023. Power in Pickens comes from Blue Ridge Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Pickens, 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 Pickens.
Power comes from Blue Ridge Electric Coop
Blue Ridge Electric Coop (Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc - (SC)), a cooperative utility, serves all of Pickens. Its homes paid an average of 19.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $198 a month (its average across South Carolina).
Start or move service: blueridge.coop · (800) 240-3400
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Pickens WTP (Sc3910001) water system
The Pickens WTP (Sc3910001) water system supplies almost all of Pickens. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Greenville Water (Sc2310001) as seller) and serves 10,263 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (HAA5), beginning Jul 2023. 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 4.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 87% 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. SC3910001.
6 home internet providers serve Pickens
100% of 1,401 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 14% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vyve Broadband | Cable | 98% | 1,000/100 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless | 61% | 10/1 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 10% | 1,000/500 |
| West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative | Fiber | 9% | 8,000/8,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 67% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 62% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Pickens
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Pickens, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check cityofpickens.com →
From cityofpickens.com, 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.
Pickens is in Pickens County School District.
A−School 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 Jan 2024; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Pickens is in ZIP code 29671
ZIP codes where Pickens residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Pickens | ZIP’s residents in Pickens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29671 | Pickens, SC | 100% | 18% |
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 Pickens
Who supplies Pickens’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Pickens WTP (Sc3910001) water system (EPA ID SC3910001). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (HAA5). 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 4.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Pickens?
Blue Ridge Electric Coop (Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc - (SC)), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 19.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Pickens?
Vyve Broadband, AT&T, Spectrum, West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Pickens?
29671. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Pickens in?
Pickens County School District.
How do I register to vote in Pickens?
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 Pickens 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: Pickens’ own website (cityofpickens.com), 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 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.