Living in Fort Thompson, SD: what to set up and who to call
Fort Thompson has no town government of its own, so Buffalo County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Chamberlain School District 07-1. Fort Thompson Water System reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a surface water treatment requirement (Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule), beginning Sep 2022.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Fort Thompson, 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 Fort Thompson.
Power comes from Central Electric Coop
Central Electric Coop (Central Electric Coop, Inc - (SD)), a cooperative utility, serves all of Fort Thompson. Its homes paid an average of 14.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $225 a month (its average across South Dakota).
Start or move service: centralec.coop · (605) 996-7516
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Fort Thompson Water System
Fort Thompson Water System supplies Fort Thompson: about 68% of residents live in its service area. Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Water System serves another 32%. About 7% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 1,357 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule), beginning Sep 2022. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 0.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 1.7 ppb. That’s lower than 57% 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. 084690440.
1 home internet providers serve Fort Thompson
100% of 399 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midstate Communications | 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 Fort Thompson’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Fort Thompson.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Fort Thompson is in Chamberlain School District 07-1.
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
Fort Thompson is unincorporated, so Buffalo County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Fort Thompson is in ZIP code 57339
ZIP codes where Fort Thompson residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Fort Thompson | ZIP’s residents in Fort Thompson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57339 | Fort Thompson, SD | 100% | 87% |
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 Fort Thompson
Who supplies Fort Thompson’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Fort Thompson Water System (EPA ID 084690440). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.7 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Fort Thompson?
Central Electric Coop (Central Electric Coop, Inc - (SD)), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 14.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Fort Thompson?
Midstate Communications (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Fort Thompson?
57339. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Fort Thompson in?
Chamberlain School District 07-1.
How do I register to vote in Fort Thompson?
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 Buffalo 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.