Photo: Fitchhollister · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Telluride, CO: what to set up and who to call
The Town of Telluride water system reported 10 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×10. 80% of systems its size reported none. Power in Telluride comes from San Miguel Power Assn, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Telluride, 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 Telluride.
Power comes from San Miguel Power Assn
San Miguel Power Assn (San Miguel Power Assn, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Telluride. Its homes paid an average of 16.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $135 a month (its average across Colorado).
Start or move service: smpa.com · (877) 864-7311
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Telluride water system
The Town of Telluride water system supplies Telluride: about 92% of residents live in its service area. About 8% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 7,900 people in all.
10 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×10, the latest beginning Dec 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 Jan 2023–Dec 2025, 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. CO0157800.
5 home internet providers serve Telluride
97% of 907 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 30% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 97% | 1,000/35 |
| Clearnetworx | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 34% | 1,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 15% | 10/1 |
| Vero Fiber | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 2% | 50/50 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 81% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Bruin Waste picks up trash in Telluride
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Telluride, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check telluride.gov →
From telluride.gov, 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.
Telluride is in Telluride School District R-1.
ASchool 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 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Telluride is in ZIP code 81435
ZIP codes where Telluride residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Telluride | ZIP’s residents in Telluride |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81435 | Telluride, CO | 100% | 47% |
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 Telluride
Who supplies Telluride’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Telluride water system (EPA ID CO0157800). It reported 10 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×10. 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Telluride?
San Miguel Power Assn (San Miguel Power Assn, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 16.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Telluride?
Spectrum, Clearnetworx, CenturyLink, Vero Fiber, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Telluride?
81435. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Telluride in?
Telluride School District R-1.
How do I register to vote in Telluride?
In Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before). Elections here are run by the San Miguel County Clerk and Recorder. Check your registration at sos.state.co.us.
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: Telluride’s own website (telluride.gov), 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.