Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Elma, WA: what to set up and who to call
Power in Elma comes from PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County, a political subdivision utility rather than a private company. Elma School District runs the public schools in Elma.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Elma, 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 Elma.
Power comes from PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County
PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County (PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County), a political subdivision utility, serves all of Elma. Its homes paid an average of 12.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $133 a month (its average across Washington).
Start or move service: ghpud.org · (360) 532-4220
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Elma water system
The City of Elma water system supplies almost all of Elma. It draws ground water and serves 6,638 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 1.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 58% 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. WA5323100.
3 home internet providers serve Elma
99% of 1,255 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 98% | 1,200/35 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 2% | 10/1 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 77% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Elma’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Elma.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Elma is in Elma School District.
B−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 Sep 2024; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Elma is in ZIP code 98541
ZIP codes where Elma residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Elma | ZIP’s residents in Elma |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98541 | Elma, WA | 100% | 33% |
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 Elma
Who supplies Elma’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Elma water system (EPA ID WA5323100). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.4 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Elma?
PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County (PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County), a political subdivision utility. Its homes paid about 12.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Elma?
Xfinity, CenturyLink, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Elma?
98541. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Elma in?
Elma School District.
How do I register to vote in Elma?
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 Grays Harbor 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.