Tierra Amarilla Historic District · Photo: Carptrash · CC BY 3.0Living in Tierra Amarilla, NM: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2024 is still open for the Tierra Amarilla Mdwca water system. Tierra Amarilla 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 Tierra Amarilla, 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 Tierra Amarilla.
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 Tierra Amarilla.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Tierra Amarilla Mdwca water system
The Tierra Amarilla Mdwca water system supplies almost all of Tierra Amarilla. It draws ground water and serves 470 people in all.
3 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), the latest beginning Oct 2024. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2024: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, was 2.8 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 9.0 ppb. That’s higher than 80% 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. NM3503321.
2 home internet providers serve Tierra Amarilla
93% of 218 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 50% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valor Telecommunications of Texas | DSL, Fiber | 89% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Ethos Broadband | Fixed wireless | 78% | 400/80 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Tierra Amarilla’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Tierra Amarilla.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Tierra Amarilla 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
Tierra Amarilla 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.
Tierra Amarilla is in ZIP code 87575
ZIP codes where Tierra Amarilla residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Tierra Amarilla | ZIP’s residents in Tierra Amarilla |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87575 | Tierra Amarilla, NM | 100% | 48% |
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 Tierra Amarilla
Who supplies Tierra Amarilla’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Tierra Amarilla Mdwca water system (EPA ID NM3503321). It reported 3 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×2, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.8 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Tierra Amarilla?
Northern Rio Arriba E Coop (Northern Rio Arriba E Coop Inc), a cooperative utility.
What internet providers serve Tierra Amarilla?
Valor Telecommunications of Texas, Ethos Broadband (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Tierra Amarilla?
87575. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Tierra Amarilla in?
Chama Valley Independent Schools.
How do I register to vote in Tierra Amarilla?
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.