Attorney General Mayes Urges Corporation Commission to Reopen Cactus State Water Rate Case and Provide Relief to Rural Customers

Residents report water bills up 200 to 300 percent, uranium contamination, and low water pressure PHOENIX — Attorney General Kris Mayes this week sent a letter to the Arizona Corporation Commission asking the Commission to reopen the rate case for Cactus State Utility Operating Company and find ways to lower rates for customers in rural Arizona. The rate increase was approved in November 2025, and since then residents have reported water bills rising by 200 to 300 percent. In the letter sent on September 22, Attorney General Mayes shared several complaints and pleas for help the Attorney General’s Office has received from Cactus State customers. Many of those customers are retirees, seniors on fixed incomes, and working families already struggling with rising costs for food, health care, and transportation. "Water is not a luxury good, it is essential to life," said Attorney General Mayes. "I urge the Commission to use whatever authority it has to provide relief to the customers of Cactus State Utilities." The complaints the Attorney General's Office received include: A resident whose base rate for water service rose from $18.88 to $69.68 per month. A resident whose monthly bill...