The Original Town Site is the part of El Mirage, Arizona that the city calls the original square mile. This page is for people with homes or small buildings there who have a leak, a clogged drain or a water heater problem. Call (623) 301-9042, describe what is happening and ask about plumbing service.
If water is spraying or pooling, close the main valve first. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility or 911 instead of a plumber.
The first square mile of El Mirage
Settlers, many of them farm workers, built homes near Grand Avenue on the west bank of the Agua Fria River in the early 1930s. El Mirage was incorporated on June 25, 1951, and it is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026.
A November 2025 city resolution calls the area the Original Town Site and describes it as the original square mile of El Mirage. We found no street list for it, so we do not draw its boundary here. If you are unsure whether your address is inside it, ask the city.
What the city says it plans to do here
The city applied for fiscal year 2026 to 2027 Community Development Block Grant money for El Mirage Original Town Site Roadway Improvements. The request is for $550,000 and covers resurfacing streets, stormwater upgrades and ADA sidewalk improvements in the original square mile.
This is an application, and we did not find confirmation that it was awarded. Work like this can involve digging near streets and curbs, so a homeowner who plans any excavation should call Arizona 811 first so buried lines are marked.
What we can and cannot say about homes here
| Question | Answer | Source type |
|---|---|---|
| Is it a named area? | Yes, the city uses the name Original Town Site in a 2025 resolution. | City council packet. |
| What is its size? | The original square mile of El Mirage. | City council packet. |
| Are the homes old? | Not necessarily. Citywide, about 0.3 percent of homes date from 1939 or earlier and 1.7 percent from the 1950s. | ACS data compiled by Point2Homes. |
| What pipes do they have? | Unknown. We have not inspected homes here. | Not available |
| Is there a boundary map? | None found | Not available |
Leak or clog in the Original Town Site?
Close the main valve if needed, then call and describe the problem.
Old streets do not mean old pipes
Most El Mirage homes were built much later. The median build year is about 2004 and roughly 63 percent of the city housing was built from 2000 to 2009. So a house on an old street can be new, and the reverse can also be true.
The honest approach is to look at the house itself. Check the age of the water heater, the shutoff valves and the visible supply lines, rather than assuming a material from the street.
Things worth checking in an older house
This list is general. It applies to any home that has gone a long time without plumbing work.
- Test the main shutoff and each fixture shutoff, gently, while nothing is wrong.
- Look for green or white crust at joints and under sinks.
- Read the water heater label for its age and note any rust at the base.
- Watch the meter with every fixture off for signs of a hidden leak.
- Note any slow drains and which fixtures they involve.
Monsoon runoff and drainage
Monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30, and the planned stormwater work shows the city sees drainage as a concern in this area. Heavy rain can send water toward yards and low drains.
Keep cleanouts and drain covers clear before the season, and photograph any water that enters a building so you have a record. A plumber can help with a drain inside the building, while street drainage is a city matter.
Before you call about an older El Mirage home
Gather these so the first call is useful.
Know your valve
Locate the main shutoff and test it when nothing is wrong.
Note the symptoms
Write down where the water or the slowdown shows up and when it began.
Photograph the area
Take pictures of stains, drips or the water heater label.
Call 811 before digging
If a repair involves digging, Arizona 811 must mark buried lines first.
Pages that match common older-home problems
These cover the problems that most often come up in homes with long gaps between repairs.
- A steady meter movement leads to leak detection.
- A leak between the meter and the house is a water line repair question.
- Repeated backups can call for a sewer inspection with a camera.
- A single slow fixture is usually a drain cleaning job.
- If repairs keep stacking up, read about repiping before deciding.
Original Town Site plumbing questions
A city resolution calls it the original square mile of El Mirage. We found no published street boundary, so the city is the place to confirm whether an address is inside it.
We only found the application for $550,000 in fiscal year 2026 to 2027 funds. We did not find an award, so we cannot say when or whether the work will start.
Not always. The median home in El Mirage was built around 2004, and we cannot say what any house in this area has. A plumber has to look at the home.
Call Arizona 811 before any excavation so buried lines can be marked. That includes planting trees and installing fences.
Street drainage is a city matter. A plumber handles pipes inside the building and on the private side of the property line.
Question not answered here? Call (623) 301-9042
Sources and notes
Facts about this area come from the public sources below. General plumbing advice on this page is not a claim about any specific home. El Mirage follows the 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC); ask the El Mirage building department which permits apply to your job.
- City of El Mirage council packet, resolution on Original Town Site Roadway Improvements (November 2025).
- City of El Mirage, 75th anniversary and incorporation date.
- Salt River Stories, history of El Mirage.
- Wikipedia, El Mirage, Arizona (early settlement).
- Point2Homes, El Mirage housing age from ACS data.
Other El Mirage areas
Newer areas are covered on the pages for Thompson Ranch and Sundial. For the whole city, see plumbing in El Mirage or the service areas page.