Guide
Mesa water and sewer lines: who fixes what
When a pipe breaks or a drain backs up, the first question is whose pipe it is. The City of Mesa draws the line at the meter for water and at the main for sewer.
The dividing line
The city's part and your part
City of Mesa
What the city repairs
- Water mains and leaks at water meters.
- Water leaking in the street.
- Sewer mains in the street or alley, including cleaning and repair.
- Sanitary sewer overflows from the public system.
Property owner
What you repair
- The water line from the meter to the house.
- Irrigation and all plumbing inside the home.
- The connection to the sewer main and the line from the main to the house.
- Cleaning and maintaining the sewer lateral.
Source: City of Mesa: Report a Utility Emergency · City of Mesa: Wastewater
Mesa details
Reporting and the fine print
Where to report
Mesa lists water leaks in the street and sewer overflows or backups as water emergencies, reported on 480-644-2262. Gas: 911 and 480-644-4277.
When the main is blocked
If your licensed plumber finds the problem in the main line, call the city's Wastewater Collection team. The city charges a fee to inspect and attempt repairs, and you'll be asked to sign a Sewer Blockage Waiver Form.
Source: City of Mesa: Wastewater
What clogs laterals
The city names items put down drains and tree roots, which get in through joints and cracks. It asks residents to put fats, oil and grease in a container for the trash and to bin wipes.
Source: City of Mesa: Wastewater
Optional line warranty
Mesa has a non-exclusive agreement with a private company offering optional warranties on water and sewer service lines. Details are on the city’s service line warranty page. It is a personal choice; check your homeowners policy first.
Storm drains are separate
Mesa's storm drains are not connected to the sanitary sewer. Water in them gets no treatment and can end up in washes, retention basins, parks and the Salt and Gila rivers, so nothing but rain belongs in them.
Source: City of Mesa: Stormwater
Permits for repairs
Mesa's residential FAQ covers common jobs: like-for-like water heater swaps need no permit, tankless conversions do, and emergency work that needs a permit should be applied for by the next business day. Permit Services: 480-644-4273.
After the pipe is fixed
The water damage is a separate job
A plumber fixes the pipe and the city fixes its main, but neither dries your house. Water that reached drywall, cabinets, flooring or the slab has to be extracted and dried, or the materials replaced.
Keep the plumber's invoice and any notes about where the break was. Insurers usually ask for them, and the restoration contractor will want to know how long the water ran.
Questions
Pipe and sewer questions
How do I tell if the leak is on my side of the meter?
If water is coming up in the street or at the meter box itself, report it to the city on 480-644-2262. If the meter is turning with every fixture off and nothing is visible outside, the leak is likely on your side.
Who pays to clear a sewer backup?
In Mesa the property owner is responsible for the lateral, so a blockage there is cleared by your plumber at your expense. If the plumber finds the main is blocked, the city's Wastewater Collection team takes it from there.
Does a backup from the city main change who pays for cleanup inside?
Possibly, but that depends on the facts and on the city's process. Take photos, keep the plumber's report and ask the city how property damage from its system is handled.
Water, smoke or mold in the house
Talk it through with a Mesa restoration contractor
A short call gets the facts in front of someone who does this work every week: where the water came from, which rooms it reached and how long things have been wet. You choose what happens next.
Water where it shouldn't be? Make the call.
The line connects you with an independent restoration contractor working in Mesa and nearby East Valley towns. Describe the damage, then decide whether to book.
Call (480) 863-0892Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and privacy policy.