Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas · CC BY 2.0Living in Merkel, TX: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Merkel comes from the City of Merkel water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 20% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection. Power in Merkel comes from Taylor Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Merkel, 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 Merkel.
Power comes from Taylor Electric Coop
Taylor Electric Coop (Taylor Electric Coop Inc - (TX)), a cooperative utility, serves all of Merkel. Its homes paid an average of 16.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $174 a month (its average across Texas).
Start or move service: taylorelectric.com · (877) 832-1939
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Merkel water system
The City of Merkel water system supplies almost all of Merkel. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists City of Abilene as seller) and serves 3,573 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, 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. TX2210002.
7 home internet providers serve Merkel
97% of 1,199 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 95% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valor Telecommunications of Texas | Fiber, DSL | 95% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Optimum | Cable | 89% | 940/35 |
| Access Fiber | Fiber | 4% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AMA TechTel Communications | Fixed wireless | 96% | 75/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 85% | 300/20 |
| Nextlink | Fixed wireless | 62% | 1,000/1,000 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Merkel’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Merkel.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Merkel is in Merkel Independent School District.
B−School gradeSee 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 Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Merkel is in ZIP code 79536
ZIP codes where Merkel residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Merkel | ZIP’s residents in Merkel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79536 | Merkel, TX | 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 Merkel
Who supplies Merkel’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Merkel water system (EPA ID TX2210002). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Merkel?
Taylor Electric Coop (Taylor Electric Coop Inc - (TX)), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 16.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Merkel?
Valor Telecommunications of Texas, Optimum, Access Fiber, AMA TechTel Communications, Verizon, Nextlink (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Merkel?
79536. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Merkel in?
Merkel Independent School District.
How do I register to vote in Merkel?
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 Taylor 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.