Gilbert utility bills to increase in April to keep up with the growth of the city

GILBERT, Ariz. – Gilbert residents will now pay more for their wastewater. 

Utility bills are expected to go up almost 90% as the Gilbert Town Council works to keep up with the growth of the city. 

This increase makes Gilbert’s sewer rates among the highest in the county, and some neighborhoods don’t have a choice when it comes to keeping their grass green.

Infrastructure maintenance among reasons for increase

What we know:

Wastewater in Gilbert is about to cost a lot more.

“It’s just the cost of doing business. It is what it is,” said Cory Powell, a Gilbert resident.

Monthly utility bills in Gilbert are about to increase by 88.8%. What used to be $33 dollars is now $62 dollars per household.

The backstory:

The February approval by the Gilbert Town Council will fully fund needed repairs, replacements, and maintenance of infrastructure without debt. 

The Town Council says they have to keep up with the growing demand.

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Local perspective:

“We live in the desert it’s 130 degrees in the summer, so that doesn’t sound unreasonable to me at all,” said Alex Kiesig, another Gilbert resident.

A lot of families know they don’t have a choice.

“We still have to wash clothes, still have to do dishes, still have to wash bodies and I have a big family and they have to stay clean!” said Gilbert resident Jane Laclaire.

Some are switching to irrigation systems and artificial grass, to keep down the cost.

“It’s every two weeks, and it’s probably the most cost-efficient way to do it,” said Shannon Claassen of Gilbert.

“A lot of our neighbors have switched to artificial turf, we still have grass because we have a dog and kids and we want to enjoy it. So we pay a premium for our water, at some point maybe we will switch, but for now, we will live with it.”

What you can do:

Gilbert does have a grass removal rebate, residents can get up to $500 for removing their grass and replacing it with low-water-use landscape.

Other neighborhoods don’t have a choice. Some residents say their HOA requires real grass and trees on each property.

Dig deeper:

Chandler and Scottsdale have rate increases scheduled for 2026. But in Gilbert, there was an increase in 2024 and this most recent one in 2025. 

We reached out to the city to see if there will be a cap on this or future increases and have not heard back.

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