Photo: Magnolia677 · CC BY 4.0Living in Breaks, VA: what to set up and who to call
The Grassy Creek-Bcpsa water system reported 4 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×4. 77% of systems its size reported none. Breaks has no town government of its own, so Buchanan County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Buchanan County Public Schools.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Breaks, 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 Breaks.
Power comes from Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Breaks. Its homes paid an average of 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $186 a month (its average across Virginia).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Grassy Creek-Bcpsa water system
The Grassy Creek-Bcpsa water system supplies Breaks: about 12% of residents live in its service area. About 88% 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 Bartlick/Breaks - Dcpsa as seller) and serves 440 people in all.
4 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×4, the latest beginning Apr 2023. 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 2023–Dec 2025, 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. VA1027065.
2 home internet providers serve Breaks
100% of 79 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Broadband | Fiber | 99% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Spectrum | Fiber | 97% | 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 Breaks’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Breaks.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Breaks (95%) is in Buchanan County Public Schools; parts are in Dickenson County Public Schools (5%).
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
Breaks is unincorporated, so Buchanan County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Breaks is in ZIP code 24607
ZIP codes where Breaks residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Breaks | ZIP’s residents in Breaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24607 | Breaks, VA | 100% | 45% |
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 Breaks
Who supplies Breaks’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Grassy Creek-Bcpsa water system (EPA ID VA1027065). It reported 4 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×4. 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Breaks?
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Breaks?
Point Broadband, Spectrum (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Breaks?
24607. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Breaks in?
Buchanan County Public Schools. Parts of the city are in Dickenson County Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Breaks?
In Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before). Elections here are run by the Buchanan General Registrar. Check your registration at vote.elections.virginia.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 30, 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.