Living in Ben Bolt, TX: what to set up and who to call
Jim Wells County Fwsd 1 reported 28 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: uranium ×15, arsenic ×12, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 78% of systems its size reported none. Ben Bolt has no town government of its own, so Jim Wells County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Independent School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ben Bolt, 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 Ben Bolt.
Power comes from Nueces Electric Cooperative
Nueces Electric Cooperative (Nueces Electric Cooperative), a cooperative utility, serves all of Ben Bolt. Its homes paid an average of 11.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $149 a month (its average across Texas).
Start or move service: nueceselectric.org · (800) 632-9288
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Jim Wells County Fwsd 1
Jim Wells County Fwsd 1 supplies almost all of Ben Bolt. It draws ground water (EPA lists City of Alice as seller) and serves 1,950 people in all.
28 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: uranium ×15, arsenic ×12, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), the latest beginning Jan 2026. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 1.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 65% 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. TX1250030.
6 home internet providers serve Ben Bolt
100% of 706 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 1% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Fixed wireless, DSL, Fiber | 76% | 100/20 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 76% | 1,000/1,000 |
| VTX1 | Fixed wireless | 98% | 400/50 |
| Gtek Communications | Fixed wireless | 95% | 120/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 56% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 14% | 25/6 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Ben Bolt’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Ben Bolt.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Ben Bolt (90%) is in Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Independent School District; parts are in Alice Independent School District (10%).
C−School 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
Ben Bolt is unincorporated, so Jim Wells County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ben Bolt spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Ben Bolt residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ben Bolt | ZIP’s residents in Ben Bolt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78332 | Alice, TX | 81% | 5% |
| 78342 | Ben Bolt, TX | 19% | 100% |
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 Ben Bolt
Who supplies Ben Bolt’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Jim Wells County Fwsd 1 (EPA ID TX1250030). It reported 28 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: uranium ×15, arsenic ×12, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.7 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ben Bolt?
Nueces Electric Cooperative (Nueces Electric Cooperative), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 11.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Ben Bolt?
AT&T, Spectrum, VTX1, Gtek Communications, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Ben Bolt?
78332 (81%), 78342 (19%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ben Bolt in?
Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Independent School District. Parts of the city are in Alice Independent School District.
How do I register to vote in Ben Bolt?
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 Jim Wells 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.