Photo: LR6 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Independence, VA: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Independence comes from the Town of Independence water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection. For emergencies, Independence is closest to Alleghany Memorial Hospital, 8.4 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Independence, 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 Independence.
Power comes from Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Independence. 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 Town of Independence water system
The Town of Independence water system supplies Independence: about 96% of residents live in its service area. About 4% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It buys ground water influenced by surface water (EPA lists Virginia Carolina Water Authority as seller) and serves 971 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, 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. VA1077335.
6 home internet providers serve Independence
99% of 496 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 63% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 97% | 1,200/35 |
| Lingo Networks | Fiber | 58% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Brightspeed | DSL, Fixed wireless | 50% | 80/10 |
| GigaBeam Networks | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 50% | 2,000/2,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 77% | 25/3 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 6% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Independence’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Independence.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Independence is in Grayson County Public Schools.
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 Aug 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Independence is in ZIP code 24348
ZIP codes where Independence residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Independence | ZIP’s residents in Independence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24348 | Independence, VA | 100% | 21% |
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 Independence
Who supplies Independence’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Independence water system (EPA ID VA1077335). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Independence?
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Independence?
Xfinity, Lingo Networks, Brightspeed, GigaBeam Networks, AT&T, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Independence?
24348. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Independence in?
Grayson County Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Independence?
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 Grayson 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.