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View of Columbus, New Mexico atop a hill at Pancho Villa State ParkPhoto: NewMexConnorMcDavidFan · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Columbus handbook

Living in Columbus, NM: what to set up and who to call

Columbus Water System reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2. 78% of systems its size reported none. Power in Columbus comes from Columbus Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Columbus, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Columbus.

Electricity

Power comes from Columbus Electric Coop

Columbus Electric Coop (Columbus Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Columbus.

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Drinking water · reported to EPA

Water comes from Columbus Water System

Columbus Water System supplies almost all of Columbus. It draws ground water and serves 2,230 people in all.

2 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2, the latest beginning Jun 2023. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.

Lead, 90th percentile0.0 ppb
015 ppb action level20

The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, 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. NM3523016.

Internet

2 home internet providers serve Columbus

99% of 731 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 99% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Valley Telecom GroupFiber, DSL99%1,000/100
AT&TFixed wireless8%25/3

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Columbus’ trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Columbus.

Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Columbus kids go to
PK–5Columbus ElementaryDeming Public Schools
7–8Red Mountain Middlein Deming
9–123 high schoolsDepends on your address

Columbus is in Deming Public 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.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Dec 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.

ZIP codes & area codes

Columbus is in ZIP code 88029

ZIP codes where Columbus residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of ColumbusZIP’s residents in Columbus
88029Columbus, NM100%91%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

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 Columbus

Who supplies Columbus’ drinking water, and has it had violations?

Columbus Water System (EPA ID NM3523016). It reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2. 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.

Who provides electricity in Columbus?

Columbus Electric Coop (Columbus Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility.

What internet providers serve Columbus?

Valley Telecom Group, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Columbus?

88029. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Columbus in?

Deming Public Schools.

How do I register to vote in Columbus?

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 Luna 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.