Welcome to the Phoenix Water Services Department! We are dedicated to delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable water services to the vibrant community of Phoenix. For over a century, we have been at the forefront of ensuring access to clean water and wastewater services, vital to our city’s health, economy, and quality of life.
About Phoenix Water Services Department
Phoenix Water Services provides high-quality, reliable water to the City of Phoenix, serving over 1.7 million residents. The department is committed to maintaining water quality, promoting sustainability, and ensuring compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations.
We Have a History of Preserving Our Future
Phoenix was officially incorporated in 1881 and as its population and economy grew, so did the need for reliable water supplies. Phoenix began municipal water utility operations in 1907, serving water to a rapidly expanding community. For years, the city received surface water from the Verde River through a 30-mile long, 38-inch diameter redwood pipeline. In 1949, Phoenix constructed Arizona’s first surface water treatment plant, located on the banks of the Verde River. Along the way, Phoenix completed its sewer system and began municipal wastewater operations. Today, Phoenix Water is one of the largest utilities in the country. Our vast infrastructure includes 7,000 miles of water lines, 5,000 miles of sewer lines, eight treatment plants, dozens of pump stations, reservoirs, and wells, 50,000 fire hydrants, and 90,000 manholes over a 540 square-mile service area.
Water Delivery and Managing Resources
As the largest potable water provider in Arizona, we serve over 1.7 million water customers and 2.5 million wastewater customers. We accomplish this with a 1500-person team by maintaining a system that spans a 540-square-mile service area and includes eight treatment plants. We ensure access to high-quality drinking water by managing a diverse water portfolio: the Salt and Verde Rivers, the Colorado River, and groundwater wells. Surface water is treated at one of five water treatment plants, producing 97% of the City’s water, with the remaining 3% from groundwater wells.
To meet customer needs, we maintain an extensive system of storage facilities, pump stations, valves, fire hydrants, and over 7,000 miles of water distribution mains. This infrastructure delivers water with reliability, supported by a robust regulatory compliance program and backflow prevention initiatives to ensure water safety. We are committed to adhering to federal and local health regulations. Our employees perform more than five million tests and measurements annually to provide the highest quality drinking water for our customers.
Environmental Excellence
We are dedicated to sustainability through wastewater reclamation, ecological restoration, and stormwater pollution prevention. Phoenix is a pioneer in the use of reclaimed wastewater. The City treats wastewater to a very high standard and delivers it to the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Generating Station for cooling purposes, to the Roosevelt and Buckeye Irrigation Districts for irrigating non-edible crops, and to Tres Rios Wetland and the Salt River for habitat and ecological restoration
Tres Rios is a constructed wetland complex from wastewater treatment located where the Salt, Gila, and Agua Fria rivers connect. Millions of gallons of reclaimed water from Phoenix’s wastewater treatment plant are pumped into the 480 acres of wetlands daily. The water ultimately flows into the river bottom where it becomes a wildlife paradise for the hundreds of species of waterfowl, mammals, and amphibians that call the wetlands their home. Learn more about Tres Rios.
Public education, inspections, and enforcement reduce stormwater pollution, ensuring a healthier environment. Learn more about the Stormwater Program.
Wastewater Management
Our wastewater system includes nearly 5,000 miles of sewer lines, 99,000 manholes, and dozens of lift stations and corrosion and odor control facilities in the City’s wastewater system. We proactively maintain this infrastructure, work to minimize blockages and fix them quickly when they occur, and maintain adequate capacity in the collection system so that all customers’ waste can be handled safely and efficiently.
Phoenix Water maintains an active industrial pretreatment program through which major industries are identified, sampled, and regulated to protect the collection system, our wastewater treatment plants, and the environment from sources of pollution.
Infrastructure Maintenance
Maintaining critical infrastructure is key to our service. We proactively care for water and wastewater systems to minimize repairs, and ensure uninterrupted service. Capital Improvement Projects like this are managed by the Finance and Administration Division, who work directly with plant management to prioritize critical infrastructure needs and plan resources and project costs using a 5-year forecasting model.
Visit WaterWorks.phoenix.gov to learn about ongoing water infrastructure projects.
Infrastructure Maintenance
Maintaining critical infrastructure is key to our service. We proactively care for water and wastewater systems to minimize repairs, and ensure uninterrupted service. Capital Improvement Projects like this are managed by the Finance and Administration Division, who work directly with plant management to prioritize critical infrastructure needs and plan resources and project costs using a 5-year forecasting model.
Visit WaterWorks.phoenix.gov to learn about ongoing water infrastructure projects.
Conservation and Planning
We’re working hard to provide reliable water supplies for public health and safety, recreation, industry, and quality of life for generations to come. Our commitment to water conservation, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure excellence ensures reliable service for our community.
Phoenix was a founding member of the regional Water Use It Wisely conservation program, one of the longest-running and most successful conservation campaigns in the country. The City has numerous conservation programs and initiatives available to Phoenix residents. Residents can also order helpful conservation literature and media online at no cost.
Mission and Vision
VISION: We provide superior water services while perpetuating environmental excellence and focusing on safety.
MISSION: We provide high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective water services that meet public needs and maintains support.