Gila Bend secured $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding through Maricopa County to replace aging asbestos water lines, meeting speakers said.

The work addressed what speakers called a public‑health hazard after the town’s water system was found to contain asbestos pipes. Because much of Gila Bend is in a flood plain, speakers said the town was not eligible for federal assistance and applied for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds through Maricopa County instead.

Commenter 2 (Commenter) said, “The water department identified aging lines, that were asbestos pipes. We don't want any sort of, cancer contaminants, as have been associated with, asbestos lines, you know, to affect residents.” Commenter 3 (Commenter) described the CDBG award and partnership, saying, “The Community Development Block Grants allows us to be able to partner up, to be able to provide $500,000 to be able to make those critical changes within the town.”

Commenter 1 (Commenter) said the work is complete, adding, “Now that the aging infrastructure has been replaced, residents can breathe easier knowing their water is safe to drink. Very, very, oh, healthy, and it's better for us. And their town can continue to thrive.” The transcript did not include details on contractors, contract amounts beyond the $500,000 figure, or a timeline for the work beyond the speaker’s statement that the infrastructure “has been replaced.”

No formal motion or vote is recorded in the transcript for this item. The speakers framed the item as a funding and infrastructure update rather than an action taken at the meeting.