Chope's Town Cafe and Bar · Photo: Treecholla · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Chaparral, NM: what to set up and who to call
Chaparral has no town government of its own, so Doña Ana County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Gadsden Independent Schools. Lake Section Water Company 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.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Chaparral, 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 Chaparral.
Power comes from El Paso Electric
El Paso Electric (El Paso Electric Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Chaparral. Its homes paid an average of 10.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $74 a month (its average across New Mexico).
Start or move service: epelectric.com · (800) 592-1634
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Lake Section Water Company
Lake Section Water Company supplies Chaparral: about 86% of residents live in its service area. Cbg Water Company serves another 7%. Desert Aire Mdw and Swa serves another 6%. It draws ground water and serves 14,619 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. 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people had none.
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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NM3529207.
6 home internet providers serve Chaparral
91% of 5,349 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 4% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaparral CableVision | Cable, Fiber | 89% | 500/100 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 63% | 100/10 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 3% | 940/940 |
| Chaparral Wireless | Fixed wireless | 90% | 500/100 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 46% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 46% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Chaparral’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Chaparral.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Chaparral is in Gadsden Independent Schools.
BSchool gradeSee 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
Chaparral is unincorporated, so Doña Ana County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Mar 2020; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Chaparral is in ZIP code 88081
ZIP codes where Chaparral residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Chaparral | ZIP’s residents in Chaparral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 88081 | Chaparral, NM | 100% | 92% |
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 Chaparral
Who supplies Chaparral’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Lake Section Water Company (EPA ID NM3529207). 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). 83% 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 Chaparral?
El Paso Electric (El Paso Electric Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 10.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Chaparral?
Chaparral CableVision, CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber, Chaparral Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Chaparral?
88081. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Chaparral in?
Gadsden Independent Schools.
How do I register to vote in Chaparral?
In New Mexico you can register online until 28 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before). Elections here are run by the Otero County Clerk. Check your registration at voterportal.servis.sos.state.nm.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: 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 27, 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.