El Santuario de Chimayo · Photo: Andrea Stawitcke · CC BY 2.5Living in Chimayo, NM: what to set up and who to call
Chimayo has no town government of its own, so Rio Arriba County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Española Municipal Schools. The Greater Chimayo Mdwca water system 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 Chimayo, 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 Chimayo.
Power comes from Jemez Mountains Elec Coop
Jemez Mountains Elec Coop (Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Chimayo. Its homes paid an average of 15.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $90 a month (its average across New Mexico).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Greater Chimayo Mdwca water system
The Greater Chimayo Mdwca water system supplies Chimayo: about 96% of residents live in its service area. It draws ground water and serves 1,050 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. 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 2025–Dec 2027, was 2.3 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 76% 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. NM3502426.
4 home internet providers serve Chimayo
89% of 1,456 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valor Telecommunications of Texas | DSL | 56% | 100/20 |
| NMSurf | Fixed wireless | 89% | 200/50 |
| Ethos Broadband | Fixed wireless | 80% | 400/80 |
| Internet Services | Fixed wireless | 23% | 10/1 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 4 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Chimayo.
Santa Fe County Solid Waste Convenience Station
Nambe Road, 87506
This isn’t Chimayo’s own facility. Whether Chimayo residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Chimayo is in Española Municipal Schools.
C−School 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
Chimayo is unincorporated, so Rio Arriba County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Mar 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Chimayo is in ZIP code 87522
ZIP codes where Chimayo residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Chimayo | ZIP’s residents in Chimayo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87522 | Chimayo, NM | 100% | 89% |
A few homes fall in 87532.
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 Chimayo
Who supplies Chimayo’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Greater Chimayo Mdwca water system (EPA ID NM3502426). 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). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.3 ppb (Jan 2025–Dec 2027), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Chimayo?
Jemez Mountains Elec Coop (Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 15.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Chimayo?
Valor Telecommunications of Texas, NMSurf, Ethos Broadband, Internet Services (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Chimayo?
87522. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Chimayo in?
Española Municipal Schools.
How do I register to vote in Chimayo?
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 Rio Arriba 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.