Varner-Hogg Plantation · Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in West Columbia, TX: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in West Columbia comes from the City of West Columbia 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 West Columbia comes from Jackson Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in West Columbia, 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 West Columbia.
Power comes from Jackson Electric Coop
Jackson Electric Coop (Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (TX)), a cooperative utility, serves all of West Columbia. Its homes paid an average of 14.6¢ per kWh in 2025, about $137 a month (its average across Texas).
Start or move service: jecec.com · (361) 771-4400
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of West Columbia water system
The City of West Columbia water system supplies almost all of West Columbia. It draws ground water and serves 3,650 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 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. TX0200010.
5 home internet providers serve West Columbia
100% of 1,523 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 10% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparklight | Cable | 100% | 1,000/50 |
| Brightspeed | DSL, Fixed wireless | 33% | 80/10 |
| Brazoria Telephone Company | Fiber | 12% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Skynet | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/50 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 18% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have West Columbia’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in West Columbia.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
West Columbia is in Columbia-Brazoria 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.
West Columbia is in ZIP code 77486
ZIP codes where West Columbia residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of West Columbia | ZIP’s residents in West Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77486 | West Columbia, TX | 100% | 49% |
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 West Columbia
Who supplies West Columbia’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of West Columbia water system (EPA ID TX0200010). 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 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in West Columbia?
Jackson Electric Coop (Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (TX)), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 14.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve West Columbia?
Sparklight, Brightspeed, Brazoria Telephone Company, Skynet, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in West Columbia?
77486. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is West Columbia in?
Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District.
How do I register to vote in West Columbia?
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 Brazoria 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.