Water Main Break Leaves Unincorporated Maricopa High and Dry

A water line break disrupted service for several customers in Thunderbird Farms on April 22, 2025. The incident occurred when a contractor, preparing for bridge work for Pinal County, accidentally ruptured a water line.

Angela Billa from the Thunderbird Farms Improvement District confirmed the mishap. “So now we have a good chunk of people without water,” she stated, overseeing the contractor as they began repairs on the damaged pipe. “We’re fixing it. They’re fixing it. Everyone’s on it.”

Billa wore a bandana and had her hand resting on a holstered pistol while monitoring the excavation efforts, which resulted in muddy water flowing down Ralston Road.

Earlier, she took to Facebook to inform residents about the situation. “We are aware of the leak and water pressure issue,” she posted, as concerned customers shared their experiences of low or no water pressure. “Our main line was hit by a contractor and we are in the process of shut down and repair.”

The outage affected homes across multiple blocks in the rural area, but specific numbers of impacted households were not available. Community members expressed their concerns online. Brie Chatham noted, “Sounds like the well got sucked dry.” Meanwhile, Sally Oja Fenster expressed urgency, “Hopefully you’ll have it fixed by tonight; otherwise, my horses will be out of water.”

Kendra Crabtree offered assistance, stating, “Don’t be too hard on them, I’m sure they will do the best they can. If you need your horses watered, I can fill up from the irrigation and bring you some.”

As early afternoon progressed, crews had fully exposed the pipe and initiated repair work. With sunset approaching, additional lighting fixtures were set up to continue operations after dark.

Billa estimated that most residents would have water restored within a few hours, although she could not guarantee a specific timeline. Many Thunderbird Farms residents depend on well water for their irrigation systems, livestock, and general household needs. “Ninety-nine percent of the people in Thunderbird Farms have irrigation,” she remarked. “We have a limited time to restore service because we’re a state agency, not a private water company.”

Billa emphasized the urgency, stating that if a resident’s water supply lasted only 30 minutes, they would need to manage through the outage until repairs were complete.