General Service Issues

City of Phoenix Water Services and the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association have created a step-by step Smart Home Water Guide to help you find leaks that are draining your budget and provide you with tips for efficient home water use.

Water Pressure in your home or business can vary. Water demand during peak times and during times of little demand is one factor that may result in a slight variation of water pressure. Although the City of Phoenix strives to maintain consistent and adequate water pressure levels, customers may experience a reduction in water pressure when there is construction in the area, including when work is being done on infrastructure to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of water. Phoenix does not regulate the water pressure beyond the meter on the customer's side. Your water pressure is measured in pounds per square inch (psi). An acceptable pressure range within the City of Phoenix is between 40 and 100 psi. According to the City's Design Standards manual for Water and Wastewater, anything within that range is considered acceptable. Water pressure greater than 120 PSI requires action by the home or business owner. The City of Phoenix requires that customers install a pressure regulator (also known as a pressure reducing valve) on the customer’s side of the water meter to ensure that the water pressure does not exceed 120 PSI in the home or business.  Private pressure regulators are the responsibility of the home or business owner.

If you are experiencing concerns of water pressure issues that are continuous and noticeable throughout the entire home, you can send us an email.

Potential causes of reduced water pressure are:

• A buildup of mineral deposits of mineral deposits in galvanized plumbing
• A water softener in need of maintenance
• A partially closed house valve
• Debris in aerator screens on bath/kitchen sinks

Low Water Pressure

Fluctuations in water pressure are normal. Factors such as everyone getting ready for work or school in the morning can result in lower pressures during the early morning hours. If water pressure is consistently low, it could be indicative of a larger problem with the City's or the customer's water system. Issues on the city's side (from the street to the water meter) are the responsibility of the City and issues after the water meter are the responsibility of the homeowner.

High Water Pressure

Water pressure greater than 80 psi requires action by the home or business owner as it can damage your water pipes and appliances. The city of Phoenix requires that customers install a pressure regulator (pressure reducing valve) on the customer's side of the water meter to ensure that the water pressure does not exceed 80 psi in the home or business. Private pressure regulators are the responsibility of the homeowner.

While household plumbing is an issue for the homeowner, tenant, or landlord, we thought it would be helpful for our customers to understand their plumbing and how to protect it from freezing temperatures. Learn more about your plumbing and the impact of freezing temperatures.

The City water meters are read through an electronic device. What this means is, the meter is read using a handheld computer, or a mobile collector located inside trucks, which automatically downloads the meter read to our billing system. The chance for the read to be inaccurate is very insignificant.

AMR has virtually eliminated manual meter reads thus reducing billing errors and reducing employee injuries by reducing exposure to insects and other hazards since they no longer have to lift meter box lids to obtain a read. Click here to learn more.

High on the list of experiences nobody wants to have is a sewer backup or overflow. Fortunately, that "yucky" experience usually can be avoided by being aware of what causes backups and avoiding those causes. The two primary causes of sewer backups and overflows are grease and roots.

Grease is the most frequent cause of sewer problems. If cooking grease or oil is poured down the drain or flushed down toilets, even when followed by hot water, it eventually cools down, congeals, builds up, and hardens, eventually forming a plug in both the home and the city sewer lines. Over time this situation will create backups and overflows. This unfortunate situation can be avoided if you allow the grease or cooking oil to cool, then dispose of it with the garbage. When the Water Services Department has to contend with sewer backups and overflows in the city sewer lines, there are consequences of both a financial and regulatory nature. So please, Cease the Grease, and help the city keep its sewers free from backups and overflows.

Plant roots are another frequent cause of sewer backups and overflows. The roots of shrubs and trees naturally seek any water source. The roots probe the sewer line seeking any opening, such as a crack or a poorly sealed joint. Once the sewer line is penetrated, the roots form a ball and block the line. The best way to avoid root blockages is not to plant trees and shrubs close to your home's clean outs or sewer service line. However, if trees or shrubs already are growing near the line, watch for reductions in flows down the drain. If a reduction in flow occurs, have a plumber check the line and clear the blockage if necessary.

It is important to note that home or property owners are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the sewer line that runs from the house to the connection with the city sewer main in the street or alley. The city, under City Code Section 28-5, will ONLY repair broken service lines within the public right of way. Please help us keep our sewer lines free of roots.

If you witness sewage overflowing from manholes, please call 602-262-6691, between 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and after 2:30 p.m., and on weekends or holidays, call 602-261-8000.

The City of Phoenix Water Services Department has about 38,000 manholes painted annually with a latex based insecticide. The paint is guaranteed to control cockroaches for two years.

By drastically reducing the cockroach population in the sanitary sewer/wastewater collection system, the City's cockroach control program has had an impact on preventing cockroach infestation on private property as well.

However, the city is ONLY responsible for public sewers. Many people think that because the city treats sewers for cockroaches, that the sewers are the only source of cockroach infestation. The cockroach issue generally starts in dark places, like storage sheds and heavily shaded gardens, and then the cockroaches migrate to the home and hide in the drains of sinks. It is up to individuals to treat their own homes, meter boxes, storage sheds, mail boxes, dog houses and other areas cockroaches like to hide. Here are some ways to keep your home free of cockroaches:

• Don't leave food uncovered, including pet food.
  
• ​Pick up clutter. Piled up newspapers and boxes give cockroaches a good place to hide.
  
• Pour a little bleach down drains in your kitchen, bathroom, and shower. Cockroaches don't like the smell.
  
• Keep drains covered when not in use. Cockroaches love to hide there.
  
• Keep windows and doors closed or tightly screened to keep out all insects, including cockroaches.
  
• Check boxes for cockroaches before bringing them into your home.
  
• Seal cracks and crevices in the walls and floor to keep out all insects.
  
• Use boric acid, the antiseptic powder used in eye washes, to control roaches. A pet-friendly alternative is diatomaceous earth, a fine, white powder. Both boric acid and diatomaceous earth dries out and kills cockroaches.
  

Learn more methods for dealing with a cockroach problem by visiting these external websites:

• Cockroaches and Schools

ROOF RATS IN PHOENIX?

Yes. From time to time, Roof Rats have been an issue in some neighborhoods of Phoenix.

WHAT DOES THE CITY OF PHOENIX DO ABOUT ROOF RATS IN THE SEWER?

The City Water Services Department’s Wastewater Collection Division has an aggressive program to trap and remove roof rats that occasionally find their way into the sewer system. Traps are quickly set, baited, monitored, and remain in place if rats continue to be captured. Contact 602-262-6691 during normal business hours and 602-261-8000 after-hours, holidays and weekends to report roof rats in the City’s sanitary sewer system.

HOW DO ROOF RATS GET INTO A HOUSE?

Roof rats can enter through any opening larger than a nickel in size. They follow pipes from the attic or basement, gnaw through drywall or siding, and have been known to enter through the sewer system from a roof vent pipe or, on occasion, through the toilet plumbing. They will also enter kitchen or base sink cabinets and chew through wood, plastic, aluminum siding, sheet rock, and soft metals.

WHAT ARE COMMON SIGNS OF ROOF RAT ACTIVITY?

• Hollowed out citrus (their favorite food)

• Rat droppings

• Noises in the attic or walls

• Gnaw marks on roof eaves

• Damage to electric wire coverings

• Dark ‘trail’ marks on block walls

• Visual sightings on power lines,

trees, bushes, patios, etc.

• Unsettled pets

Learn more about Roof Rats in Phoenix