Photo: Ben from Talmo, GA, US · CC BY-SA 2.0Living in Hernandez, NM: what to set up and who to call
Hernandez has no town government of its own, so Rio Arriba County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Española Municipal Schools. Tap water in Hernandez comes from the Agua Sana Wua 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.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Hernandez, 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 Hernandez.
Power comes from Jemez Mountains Elec Coop
Jemez Mountains Elec Coop (Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Hernandez. 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 Agua Sana Wua water system
The Agua Sana Wua water system supplies almost all of Hernandez. It draws ground water and serves 1,514 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 Jul–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. NM3502421.
4 home internet providers serve Hernandez
100% of 317 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valor Telecommunications of Texas | DSL | 87% | 50/3 |
| NMSurf | Fixed wireless | 100% | 200/50 |
| Stimulus Technologies | Fixed wireless | 99% | 40/20 |
| Ethos Broadband | Fixed wireless | 96% | 400/80 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 5 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Hernandez.
Alcalde Transfer Station
13 County Road 138A, Alcalde, NM, 87511 · run by North Central Solid Waste Authority
This isn’t Hernandez’s own facility. Whether Hernandez 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.
Hernandez is in Española Municipal 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
Hernandez 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.
Hernandez is in ZIP code 87537
ZIP codes where Hernandez residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Hernandez | ZIP’s residents in Hernandez |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87537 | Hernandez, NM | 100% | 30% |
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 Hernandez
Who supplies Hernandez’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Agua Sana Wua water system (EPA ID NM3502421). 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 (Jul–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Hernandez?
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 Hernandez?
Valor Telecommunications of Texas, NMSurf, Stimulus Technologies, Ethos Broadband (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Hernandez?
87537. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Hernandez in?
Española Municipal Schools.
How do I register to vote in Hernandez?
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.