Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Rhinelander, WI: what to set up and who to call
Rhinelander Water & Wastewater reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. Elections in Rhinelander are run by Rhinelander itself; register with the City of Rhinelander Clerk.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Rhinelander, 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 Rhinelander.
Power comes from Wisconsin Public Service
Wisconsin Public Service (Wisconsin Public Service Corp), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Rhinelander. Its homes paid an average of 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $106 a month (its average across Wisconsin).
Start or move service: wisconsinpublicservice.com · (800) 450-7260
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Rhinelander Water & Wastewater
Rhinelander Water & Wastewater supplies almost all of Rhinelander. It draws ground water and serves 8,234 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jun–Sep 2023, was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s lower than 57% 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. WI7440126.
6 home internet providers serve Rhinelander
96% of 3,370 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 76% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bug Tussel | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 100% | 50/8 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 92% | 1,000/35 |
| Frontier | Fiber, DSL | 79% | 7,000/7,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 80% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 64% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 42% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Curbside recycling in Rhinelander: every other week
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Rhinelander, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check rhinelanderwi.us →
From rhinelanderwi.us, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Rhinelander is in Rhinelander 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 Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Rhinelander is in ZIP code 54501
ZIP codes where Rhinelander residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Rhinelander | ZIP’s residents in Rhinelander |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54501 | Rhinelander, WI | 100% | 40% |
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 Rhinelander
Who supplies Rhinelander’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Rhinelander Water & Wastewater (EPA ID WI7440126). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.0 ppb (Jun–Sep 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Rhinelander?
Wisconsin Public Service (Wisconsin Public Service Corp), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Rhinelander?
Bug Tussel, Spectrum, Frontier, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Rhinelander?
54501. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Rhinelander in?
Rhinelander School District.
How do I register to vote in Rhinelander?
In Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before). Elections here are run by the City of Rhinelander Clerk. Check your registration at myvote.wi.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: Rhinelander’s own website (rhinelanderwi.us), read Oct 23, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- 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 Nov 18, 2024 (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.