Alpena Bathhouse and Swimming Pool · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Living in Alpena, SD: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in most of Alpena comes from the Alpena water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 23% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result of 1.0 ppb. The nearest library is Woonsocket Community Library, 9.9 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Alpena, 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 Alpena.
Power comes from NorthWestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern Energy - (SD)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Alpena. Its homes paid an average of 13.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $125 a month (its average across South Dakota).
Start or move service: northwesternenergy.com · (800) 245-6977
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Alpena water system
The Alpena water system supplies Alpena: about 88% of residents live in its service area. Mid-Dakota Rural Water serves another 13%. About 8% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Mid-Dakota Rural Water as seller) and serves 212 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–Dec 2023, was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 52% 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. SD4600025.
1 home internet providers serve Alpena
100% of 151 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santel | Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Alpena’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Alpena.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Alpena (84%) is in Huron School District 02-2; parts are in Wessington Springs School District 36-2 (16%).
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 Aug 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Alpena is in ZIP code 57312
ZIP codes where Alpena residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Alpena | ZIP’s residents in Alpena |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57312 | Alpena, SD | 100% | 44% |
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 Alpena
Who supplies Alpena’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Alpena water system (EPA ID SD4600025). 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 1.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Alpena?
NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern Energy - (SD)), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 13.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Alpena?
Santel (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Alpena?
57312. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Alpena in?
Huron School District 02-2. Parts of the city are in Wessington Springs School District 36-2.
How do I register to vote in Alpena?
South Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Jerauld County Auditor. Check your registration at vip.sdsos.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 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.