Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Centralia, WA: what to set up and who to call
Centralia runs its own electric utility, City of Centralia; its homes paid 9.9¢ per kWh in 2025. Centralia has its own drop-off, Lewis County Transfer Station.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Centralia, 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 Centralia.
Power comes from City of Centralia
City of Centralia (City of Centralia - (WA)), a municipal utility, serves all of Centralia. Its homes paid an average of 9.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $111 a month (its average across Washington).
Start or move service: cityofcentralia.com · (360) 330-7657
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Centralia Public Works - Water
Centralia Public Works - Water supplies almost all of Centralia. It draws ground water (EPA lists Chehalis Water Department as seller) and serves 28,164 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. WA5312200.
8 home internet providers serve Centralia
100% of 6,052 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 8% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 99% | 2,000/250 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 23% | 60/5 |
| Ziply Fiber | Fiber | 7% | 6,000/6,000 |
| Lightcurve | DSL, Fiber | 4% | 10/1 |
| Hawk Networks | Fixed wireless | 98% | 200/70 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 33% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Centralia has its own drop-off: Lewis County Transfer Station
Where to take trash and recycling in Centralia, and where the rules are.
Lewis County Transfer Station
Before you go, check the rules on cityofcentralia.com.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Jul 2019). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Centralia is in Centralia School District.
C−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 Apr 2024; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Centralia is in ZIP code 98531
ZIP codes where Centralia residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Centralia | ZIP’s residents in Centralia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98531 | Centralia, WA | 100% | 68% |
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.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Centralia
Who supplies Centralia’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Centralia Public Works - Water (EPA ID WA5312200). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Centralia?
City of Centralia (City of Centralia - (WA)), a municipal utility. Its homes paid about 9.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Centralia?
Xfinity, CenturyLink, Ziply Fiber, Lightcurve, Hawk Networks, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Centralia?
98531. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Centralia in?
Centralia School District.
How do I register to vote in Centralia?
In Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Lewis County Auditor. Check your registration at voter.votewa.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.