Living in El Cerro, NM: what to set up and who to call
El Cerro has no town government of its own, so Valencia County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Los Lunas Public Schools. Valencia Storage and MHP 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 El Cerro, 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 El Cerro.
Power comes from PNM
PNM (Public Service Co. of New Mexico), an investor-owned utility, serves all of El Cerro. Its homes paid an average of 16.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $91 a month (its average across New Mexico).
Start or move service: pnmresources.com
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Valencia Storage and MHP
Valencia Storage and MHP supplies El Cerro: about 3% of residents live in its service area. About 94% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 48 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 11,392 systems serving <=100 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2016–Dec 2018, was 0.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. It’s from 2018: EPA has no newer result for this system.
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. NM3577532.
6 home internet providers serve El Cerro
83% of 1,194 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 5% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 83% | 2,000/250 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 68% | 100/10 |
| Plateau Telecommunications Incorporated | Fiber | 4% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 76% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 26% | 25/6 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 6% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 2 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in El Cerro.
Universal Waste Systems Inc.
This isn’t El Cerro’s own facility. Whether El Cerro 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.
El Cerro is in Los Lunas Public Schools.
B−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
El Cerro is unincorporated, so Valencia County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Dec 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
El Cerro is in ZIP code 87031
ZIP codes where El Cerro residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of El Cerro | ZIP’s residents in El Cerro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87031 | Los Lunas, NM | 100% | 7% |
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 El Cerro
Who supplies El Cerro’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Valencia Storage and MHP (EPA ID NM3577532). 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 0.4 ppb (Jan 2016–Dec 2018), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in El Cerro?
PNM (Public Service Co. of New Mexico), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 16.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve El Cerro?
Xfinity, CenturyLink, Plateau Telecommunications Incorporated, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in El Cerro?
87031. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is El Cerro in?
Los Lunas Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in El Cerro?
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 Valencia 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.