Photo: Aaron F. Stone · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Welch, WV: what to set up and who to call
The City of Welch water system reported 4 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×3, a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule). 78% of systems its size reported none. Mcdowell Public Library, at 90 Howard St, is the library in town.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Welch, 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 Welch.
Power comes from Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Welch. 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 City of Welch water system
The City of Welch water system supplies almost all of Welch. It draws ground water and serves 2,907 people in all.
4 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×3, a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), the latest beginning Oct 2025. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 1.2 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 56% 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. WV3302421.
5 home internet providers serve Welch
67% of 1,036 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 67% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shentel | Fiber | 98% | 1,000/50 |
| Frontier | DSL | 49% | 70/3 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 14% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 7% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 4% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Welch’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Welch.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Welch is in McDowell County School District.
D−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 Jul 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Welch is in ZIP code 24801
ZIP codes where Welch residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Welch | ZIP’s residents in Welch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24801 | Welch, WV | 99% | 69% |
A few homes fall in 24878, 24853.
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 Welch
Who supplies Welch’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Welch water system (EPA ID WV3302421). It reported 4 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×3, a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.2 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Welch?
Appalachian Power (Appalachian Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Welch?
Shentel, Frontier, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Welch?
24801. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Welch in?
McDowell County School District.
How do I register to vote in Welch?
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.