Phoenix to Resume Water Shutoffs to Delinquent Accounts
Accounts more than four months past due will face disconnection beginning November 16, ending a pause that began in March 2020.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Utilities
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The City of Phoenix will resume water shutoffs for accounts more than four months delinquent starting November 16. More than 9,000 seriously delinquent accounts owe nearly $24 million in water, wastewater, and solid waste charges, plus taxes and fees.
Why it matters
Phoenix had paused disconnections since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and the city says it is now the only water utility in Arizona not disconnecting residential service for significantly delinquent accounts. The city cites the Colorado River drought and Lake Mead's Level 1 Shortage Condition as reasons for returning to the practice.
Phoenix has more than 9,000 seriously delinquent water accounts owing nearly $24 million across water, wastewater, and solid waste charges, with shutoffs applying to accounts past four months. Customers 120 days behind are directed toward payment plans or Project Assist, but the number of disconnections expected after November 16 has not been disclosed.
The players
City of Phoenix
The Arizona capital city operates the municipal water utility and sets its delinquency and shutoff policies.
Phoenix Human Services Department
The city department that runs Project Assist, the assistance program for income-qualified households facing water bills.
St. Vincent de Paul
A charitable organization in the Phoenix area that provides assistance to people in need, which Jessica Berg expects to see more Phoenix residents seek help from once shutoffs begin.
The details
Customers who miss one payment and catch up on the next bill will not be shut off. Customer service staff have begun sending letters and contacting customers ahead of the shutoffs, and Project Assist, run by the city's Human Services Department, serves income-qualified households.
Timeline
March 2020: Phoenix paused water shutoffs at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 1, 2025: The city announced the return of the water shutoff practice.
November 16, 2025: Water shutoffs resume for accounts more than four months delinquent.
Market Landscape
Phoenix's March 2020 pause during the COVID-19 pandemic was the exception that left it as the only Arizona water utility not disconnecting residential service for significantly delinquent accounts. Resuming shutoffs now brings the city in line with other utilities in the state, as Colorado River drought and Lake Mead's Level 1 Shortage Condition tighten water supply pressures across the region.
Phoenix residents with water accounts more than four months past due face possible disconnection starting November 16, so checking account balances now can prevent service loss. Missing a single payment and catching up on the next bill avoids shutoff, and the city points customers 120 days behind toward payment plans or Project Assist.
The takeaway
Acting on past-due water balances before the November 16 cutoff date protects against service interruption. Customers who are struggling can ask about payment plans or Project Assist before accounts reach the four-month threshold.
What happens next
Water shutoffs for delinquent accounts are scheduled to begin on November 16, 2025.
Further reading
For more on how utility policy shapes household budgets, see Utilities coverage.
More information
Review account options and assistance on the Phoenix water information and account resources page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by abc15 Arizona.
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