Photo: rlh · CC BY 2.0Living in Wounded Knee, SD: what to set up and who to call
Wounded Knee has no town government of its own, so Oglala Lakota County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1. Wounded Knee 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 Wounded Knee, 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 Wounded Knee.
Power comes from LaCreek Electric Assn
LaCreek Electric Assn (LaCreek Electric Assn, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Wounded Knee.
Start or move service: lacreek.com · (605) 685-6581
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Wounded Knee Water System
Wounded Knee Water System supplies Wounded Knee: about 85% of residents live in its service area. Oglala RWS Pipeline serves another 10%. About 10% 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 Kyle Water System as seller) and serves 255 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. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 2.0 ppb. 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. 084690478.
1 home internet providers serve Wounded Knee
0% of 61 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden West Telecommunications | DSL | 98% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Wounded Knee’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Wounded Knee.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Wounded Knee is in Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1.
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
Wounded Knee is unincorporated, so Oglala Lakota 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.
Wounded Knee is in ZIP code 57794
ZIP codes where Wounded Knee residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Wounded Knee | ZIP’s residents in Wounded Knee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57794 | Wounded Knee, SD | 100% | 59% |
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 Wounded Knee
Who supplies Wounded Knee’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Wounded Knee Water System (EPA ID 084690478). 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). 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Wounded Knee?
LaCreek Electric Assn (LaCreek Electric Assn, Inc), a cooperative utility.
What internet providers serve Wounded Knee?
Golden West Telecommunications (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Wounded Knee?
57794. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Wounded Knee in?
Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1.
How do I register to vote in Wounded Knee?
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 Oglala Lakota 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.