Living in Rio Hondo, TX: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2024 is still open for the City of Rio Hondo water system. Power in Rio Hondo comes from Magic Valley Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Rio Hondo, 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 Rio Hondo.
Power comes from Magic Valley Electric Coop
Magic Valley Electric Coop (Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Rio Hondo. 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 City of Rio Hondo water system
The City of Rio Hondo water system supplies Rio Hondo: about 84% of residents live in its service area. East Rio Hondo WSC serves another 16%. About 7% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 2,640 people in all.
8 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×7, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), the latest beginning Jan 2025. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 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 2021–Dec 2023, 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. TX0310006.
6 home internet providers serve Rio Hondo
100% of 814 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 4% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 90% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless, DSL | 38% | 100/20 |
| Smartcom Telephone | Fiber | 5% | 5,000/5,000 |
| VTX1 | Fixed wireless | 100% | 400/50 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 82% | 300/20 |
| RGV Communications | Fixed wireless | 73% | 100/100 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Rio Hondo’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Rio Hondo.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Rio Hondo is in Rio Hondo Independent School District.
CSchool 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 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Rio Hondo spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Rio Hondo residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Rio Hondo | ZIP’s residents in Rio Hondo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78583 | Rio Hondo, TX | 94% | 32% |
| 78550 | Harlingen, TX | 6% | 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 Rio Hondo
Who supplies Rio Hondo’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Rio Hondo water system (EPA ID TX0310006). It reported 8 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule) ×7, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Rio Hondo?
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 Rio Hondo?
Spectrum, AT&T, Smartcom Telephone, VTX1, Verizon, RGV Communications (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Rio Hondo?
78583 (94%), 78550 (6%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Rio Hondo in?
Rio Hondo Independent School District.
How do I register to vote in Rio Hondo?
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 Cameron 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.