Photo: AllenS · Public domainLiving in Tatum, NM: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2026 is still open for Tatum Municipal Water System. For an emergency, Nor-Lea Hospital District is the closest ER, 20.2 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Tatum, 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 Tatum.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Southwestern Public Service Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Tatum. Its homes paid an average of 12.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $125 a month (its average across New Mexico).
Start or move service: xcelenergy.com · (800) 895-4999
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Tatum Municipal Water System
Tatum Municipal Water System supplies almost all of Tatum. It draws ground water and serves 948 people in all.
2 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2, the latest beginning Feb 2026. 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people had none. 2 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 2022–Dec 2024, was 1.1 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 55% of similar systems’ latest results.
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. NM3522013.
4 home internet providers serve Tatum
100% of 392 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Valor Telecommunications of Texas | Fiber, DSL | 5% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 88% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 3% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Tatum’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Tatum.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Tatum is in Tatum 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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2017; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Tatum is in ZIP code 88267
ZIP codes where Tatum residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Tatum | ZIP’s residents in Tatum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 88267 | Tatum, NM | 100% | 66% |
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 Tatum
Who supplies Tatum’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Tatum Municipal Water System (EPA ID NM3522013). It reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2. 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.1 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Tatum?
Xcel Energy (Southwestern Public Service Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 12.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Tatum?
Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative, Valor Telecommunications of Texas, Verizon, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Tatum?
88267. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Tatum in?
Tatum Municipal Schools.
How do I register to vote in Tatum?
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 Lea 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.