Maricopa council hears Global Water briefing after single E. coli detection; company and regulator say water safe

Global Water representatives told the City of Maricopa City Council on Sept. 16 that the utility found one positive E. coli bacteria test in August, followed by multiple confirmation tests that returned non‑detect results, and that Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) had determined the incident was resolved.

Why it matters: Residents raised concerns that Global Water did not notify all customers about the initial positive detection, leaving some households unaware for several days. Council members pressed the company on its communication practices and what changes it will make to notify vulnerable customers more quickly.

John Corwin, vice president and general manager for Global Water: "The water is safe. We are in compliance with the drinking water rules," and he said the utility had pulled multiple additional samples that returned negative results. Corwin said ADEQ "has said the issue is resolved." Chris Krieger, Global Water chief operating…