Living in Barrera, TX: what to set up and who to call
Barrera has no town government of its own, so Starr County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Rio Grande City Grulla Independent School District. Rio WSC reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Barrera, 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 Barrera.
Power comes from Magic Valley Electric Coop
Magic Valley Electric Coop (Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Barrera. Its homes paid an average of 10.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $140 a month (its average across Texas).
Start or move service: magicvalley.coop · (866) 225-5683
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Rio WSC
Rio WSC supplies almost all of Barrera. It draws surface water and serves 6,939 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, 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. TX2140016.
5 home internet providers serve Barrera
96% of 46 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 85% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 98% | 1,000/35 |
| Frontier | Fiber | 85% | 7,000/7,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 91% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 83% | 25/6 |
| VTX1 | Fixed wireless | 11% | 200/50 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Barrera’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Barrera.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Barrera is in Rio Grande City Grulla Independent School District.
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
Barrera is unincorporated, so Starr County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated May 2022; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Barrera is in ZIP code 78582
ZIP codes where Barrera residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Barrera | ZIP’s residents in Barrera |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78582 | Rio Grande City, TX | 100% | 0% |
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 Barrera
Who supplies Barrera’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Rio WSC (EPA ID TX2140016). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Barrera?
Magic Valley Electric Coop (Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 10.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Barrera?
Spectrum, Frontier, T-Mobile, Verizon, VTX1 (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Barrera?
78582. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Barrera in?
Rio Grande City Grulla Independent School District.
How do I register to vote in Barrera?
Texas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Starr County Early Voting Clerk. Check your registration at teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov.
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 Nov 18, 2024 (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.