Plumbers in Mesa, AZ

The East Valley's biggest city

Mesa sits in Maricopa County about 15 miles east of downtown Phoenix in a straight line, and the 2020 Census counted 504,258 residents, which makes it the most populous city in the East Valley. Incorporated in 1883, it grew outward from a historic downtown along Main Street. US 60 (the Superstition Freeway) and Loop 202 carry most cross-town traffic, and landmarks run from the Mesa Arizona Temple and Sloan Park to Falcon Field and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport out east.

Three water zones, all of them hard

Mesa blends several supplies. Central Arizona Project water from the Colorado River is treated at the Brown Road and Signal Butte plants, Salt River Project water from the Salt and Verde rivers is treated at the Val Vista plant that Mesa owns jointly with Phoenix, and city wells add groundwater. The city's report splits the system into City, Eastern and Southern zones, and your zone decides which surface water reaches your tap. Hardness averages about 12 grains per gallon in the City Zone and about 16 in the Eastern and Southern zones, so scale inside tank water heaters, tankless heat exchangers and faucet cartridges is a routine reason Mesa owners call, and softener service comes up often.

The city handles sewer as well. A main break, sewer overflow or backup that looks like a public-side problem goes to the city's water emergency line at 480-644-2262. A clog or break in the pipe running from your house is a job for a plumber.

Housing age and service lines

The median Mesa home dates to about 1988. The city publishes a service line inventory with an address lookup and says no lead-containing lines sit between its mains and customer meters. For homes and businesses built before 1989, Mesa is still gathering information on the material of the customer-side line and follows up with owners if lead turns up.

Gas: check which utility serves you

The City of Mesa gas utility covers roughly 95 square miles of the city, and Southwest Gas serves a little over 35 square miles. If you smell gas, get everyone outside first. Then call 911 and the City of Mesa gas emergency line, 480-644-4277; if your bill comes from Southwest Gas, call 911 and Southwest Gas at 877-860-6020 instead. The city also requires the serving gas utility to be notified before gas appliances are placed in service.

Permits and backflow

Mesa Development Services, Permit Services, is at 55 N. Center Street (480-644-4273). A like-for-like water heater swap of equal or lower rating needs no permit, but converting a gas storage heater to a tankless gas unit does. Backflow tests must be done by testers the city recognizes and filed through Mesa's online backflow portal; the cross-connection office is at 480-644-6462.

How Mesa differs from Phoenix

Inside Phoenix, the City of Phoenix handles water and sewer and Southwest Gas supplies gas. Mesa has its own water, its own permit counter, a split gas map and harder water in its eastern zones. When you call the number on this page, say roughly where in Mesa you are and what you are seeing, and you will be connected with an independent plumber who sets the price and timing with you.