Photo: Johnyy0398 · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Zapata, TX: what to set up and who to call
Zapata has no town government of its own, so Zapata County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Zapata County Independent School District. Zapata County Waterworks Swtp reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), beginning Jun 2023.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Zapata, 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 Zapata.
Power comes from Medina Electric Coop
Medina Electric Coop (Medina Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Zapata. Its homes paid an average of 12.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $144 a month (its average across Texas).
Start or move service: medinaec.org · (866) 632-3532
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Zapata County Waterworks Swtp
Zapata County Waterworks Swtp supplies almost all of Zapata. It draws surface water and serves 13,736 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), beginning Jun 2023. 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 1.9 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 64% 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. TX2530002.
5 home internet providers serve Zapata
97% of 2,222 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 7% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texhoma Fiber | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 100% | 25/3 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 92% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless | 9% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 85% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 68% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Zapata’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Zapata.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Zapata is in Zapata County Independent School District.
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
Zapata is unincorporated, so Zapata County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Zapata is in ZIP code 78076
ZIP codes where Zapata residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Zapata | ZIP’s residents in Zapata |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78076 | Zapata, TX | 100% | 41% |
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 Zapata
Who supplies Zapata’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Zapata County Waterworks Swtp (EPA ID TX2530002). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule). 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.9 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Zapata?
Medina Electric Coop (Medina Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 12.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Zapata?
Texhoma Fiber, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Zapata?
78076. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Zapata in?
Zapata County Independent School District.
How do I register to vote in Zapata?
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 Zapata 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.