Empire Coal Company Store · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainLiving in Vivian, WV: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2018 is still open for Mcdowell County PSD Tidewater, which supplies Vivian. Vivian has no town government of its own, so McDowell County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend McDowell County School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Vivian, 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 Vivian.
Power comes from Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Vivian. Its homes paid an average of 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $196 a month (its average across West Virginia).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Mcdowell County PSD Tidewater
Mcdowell County PSD Tidewater supplies almost all of Vivian. It draws ground water and serves 113 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule), beginning Jun 2026. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none. 2 older violations are still open, since 2018: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule), per EPA’s records.
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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. WV3302407.
3 home internet providers serve Vivian
93% of 44 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 93% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shentel | Fiber | 93% | 1,000/50 |
| Frontier | DSL | 2% | 10/1 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 27% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Vivian’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Vivian.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Vivian is in McDowell County School District.
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
Vivian is unincorporated, so McDowell County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Vivian is in ZIP code 24853
ZIP codes where Vivian residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Vivian | ZIP’s residents in Vivian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24853 | Kimball, WV | 100% | 12% |
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 Vivian
Who supplies Vivian’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Mcdowell County PSD Tidewater (EPA ID WV3302407). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule). 77% 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 Vivian?
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Vivian?
Shentel, Frontier, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Vivian?
24853. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Vivian in?
McDowell County School District.
How do I register to vote in Vivian?
In West Virginia you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before). Elections here are run by the McDowell Clerk of the County Commission. Check your registration at apps.sos.wv.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 Aug 3, 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.