Living in Ensenada, NM: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2026 is still open for the Ensenada Mdwca water system. Ensenada has no town government of its own, so Rio Arriba County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Chama Valley Independent Schools.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ensenada, 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 Ensenada.
Power comes from Northern Rio Arriba E Coop
Northern Rio Arriba E Coop (Northern Rio Arriba E Coop Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Ensenada.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ensenada Mdwca water system
The Ensenada Mdwca water system supplies almost all of Ensenada. It draws ground water and serves 300 people in all.
6 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×6, the latest beginning Jan 2026. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none. 6 older violations are still open, since 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2015–Dec 2017, was 1.1 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. It’s from 2017: 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. NM3501821.
Which providers serve Ensenada
This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Ensenada, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.
Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.
We don’t have Ensenada’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Ensenada.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Ensenada is in Chama Valley Independent Schools.
Test scores and every school: see 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
Ensenada 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.
Ensenada is in ZIP code 87575
ZIP codes where Ensenada residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ensenada | ZIP’s residents in Ensenada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87575 | Tierra Amarilla, NM | 100% | 17% |
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 Ensenada
Who supplies Ensenada’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Ensenada Mdwca water system (EPA ID NM3501821). It reported 6 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×6. 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.1 ppb (Jan 2015–Dec 2017), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ensenada?
Northern Rio Arriba E Coop (Northern Rio Arriba E Coop Inc), a cooperative utility.
What ZIP codes are in Ensenada?
87575. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ensenada in?
Chama Valley Independent Schools.
How do I register to vote in Ensenada?
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): pending.