Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 4.0Living in Los Chaves, NM: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2019 is still open for Loma Escondida Water Association, which supplies Los Chaves. Los Chaves has no town government of its own, so Valencia County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Belen Consolidated Schools.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Los Chaves, 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 Los Chaves.
Power comes from PNM
PNM (Public Service Co. of New Mexico), an investor-owned utility, serves 89.9% of Los Chaves residents. 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 Loma Escondida Water Association
Loma Escondida Water Association supplies Los Chaves: about 4% of residents live in its service area. About 96% 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 84 people in all.
3 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: arsenic ×3, the latest beginning Jul 2022. 78% of the 11,392 systems serving <=100 people had none. 10 older violations are still open, since 2019: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2011–Dec 2013, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. It’s from 2013: EPA has no newer result for this system. 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. NM3500432.
6 home internet providers serve Los Chaves
72% of 2,130 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 11% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink | DSL | 59% | 100/10 |
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 53% | 1,200/35 |
| Plateau Telecommunications Incorporated | Fiber | 10% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 57% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 26% | 25/3 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 10% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Los Chaves’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Los Chaves.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Los Chaves (90%) is in Belen Consolidated Schools; parts are in Los Lunas Public Schools (10%).
CSchool 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
Los Chaves 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.
Los Chaves spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Los Chaves residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Los Chaves | ZIP’s residents in Los Chaves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87002 | Belen, NM | 54% | 13% |
| 87031 | Los Lunas, NM | 46% | 5% |
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 Los Chaves
Who supplies Los Chaves’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Loma Escondida Water Association (EPA ID NM3500432). It reported 3 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: arsenic ×3. 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2011–Dec 2013), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Los Chaves?
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 Los Chaves?
CenturyLink, Xfinity, Plateau Telecommunications Incorporated, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Los Chaves?
87002 (54%), 87031 (46%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Los Chaves in?
Belen Consolidated Schools. Parts of the city are in Los Lunas Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Los Chaves?
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.