Water bill woes in Gilbert are affecting residents and real estate

GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — The conversation over Gilbert’s rising water bills is seeping outside its borders.

Hundreds of residents have reached out to Arizona’s Family, saying their bills are sky-high — the result of multiple rate increases and ongoing concerns about faulty meters. Some homeowners say they’re now recording their own usage.

Real estate agents say the issue is creating new problems for the local housing market.

For months, residents have said their water bills are skyrocketing. The town has implemented steep rate increases over the past few years, and by next year, residents will be paying rates more than 100% higher than in 2023.

Dave Rosenfeld, a real estate agent in the Valley who sells many homes in Gilbert, says he’s noticed an alarming trend.

“Right now, water has become obviously the big thing in Gilbert specifically,” Rosenfeld said. “We’ve got a lot of people that are sitting here looking at all of the bills.”

Another agent, Ann Schude, said that Gilbert’s housing market is currently balanced, with homes typically staying on the market for about 90 days. It’s still desirable — but she experienced something out of the ordinary last week.

“That would be a huge sticker shock,” Schude said. “The buyer’s real estate agent asked the seller to provide a year of Town of Gilbert statements.”

The buyer cited recent reports and ongoing conversations about the town’s high water bills.

“I could see how someone could be turned off. I don’t want to deal with it,” Schude said.

Rosenfeld added that some residents are weighing whether to move out of town altogether.

“So there are a lot of people right now that are exploring what do I do. And what I do may be, in fact, leaving the town,” Rosenfeld said.

The Town of Gilbert sent Arizona’s Family a statement:

“Gilbert continues to be a sought-after community to live, work, and play. Just last month, our Customer Service team helped set up 1,003 new utility accounts, showing that people still want to call Gilbert home.

While the year-over-year data from the Cromford Report shows home sales are down regionally, Gilbert remains a top choice compared to nearby cities.

We acknowledge the challenges of rate increases and reaffirm that current utility rates are needed to maintain aging infrastructure and ensure a reliable water supply for residents. We take residents’ concerns seriously and are moving forward with hosting listening sessions and a third-party audit of water meters and AMI systems.

For more information, including the latest updates, visit gilbertaz.gov/UtilityUpdates.”

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