Photo: AllenS · Public domainLiving in Elephant Butte, NM: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in most of Elephant Butte comes from Elephant Butte Water System, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection. Power in Elephant Butte comes from Sierra Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Elephant Butte, 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 Elephant Butte.
Power comes from Sierra Electric Coop
Sierra Electric Coop (Sierra Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Elephant Butte.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Elephant Butte Water System
Elephant Butte Water System supplies Elephant Butte: about 77% of residents live in its service area. City of Elephant Butte serves another 21%. It draws ground water and serves 2,286 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, 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. NM3530827.
4 home internet providers serve Elephant Butte
98% of 1,425 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 6% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TDS Telecom | Cable, Fiber | 97% | 1,000/20 |
| Valor Telecommunications of Texas | DSL | 36% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 93% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 4% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Elephant Butte
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Elephant Butte, from the town’s own site.
City of Elephant Butte Recycling Center
100 Water Ave. (across from City Hall)
- Mon8 am–3 pm
- Tue8 am–3 pm
- Wed8 am–3 pm
- Thu8 am–3 pm
From cityofelephantbutte.com, the town’s official site, checked Oct 22, 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.
Elephant Butte is in Truth or Consequences 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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Elephant Butte is in ZIP code 87935
ZIP codes where Elephant Butte residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Elephant Butte | ZIP’s residents in Elephant Butte |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87935 | Elephant Butte, NM | 100% | 80% |
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 Elephant Butte
Who supplies Elephant Butte’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Elephant Butte Water System (EPA ID NM3530827). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Elephant Butte?
Sierra Electric Coop (Sierra Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility.
What internet providers serve Elephant Butte?
TDS Telecom, Valor Telecommunications of Texas, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Elephant Butte?
87935. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Elephant Butte in?
Truth or Consequences Schools.
How do I register to vote in Elephant Butte?
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 Sierra 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: Elephant Butte’s own website (cityofelephantbutte.com), read Oct 22, 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 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.