Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale
Water Damage Restoration in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ
Old Town Scottsdale condos, homes and shops face leaks that travel between units, the Arizona Canal, the FEMA flood map and hard water.
ZIP code at City Hall
85251
Arizona Canal completed
1885
Homes in 50+ unit buildings (Census)
71%
FEMA zone at City Hall
X, minimal flood hazard
About Old Town Scottsdale
Old Town is the downtown core of the City of Scottsdale, and City Hall sits inside it. The city's plan describes it as roughly bounded by Chaparral Road (north), Earll Drive (south), 68th Street (west) and Miller Road (east). The Arizona Canal, finished in 1885, runs through it.
Leak in an Old Town condo or apartment? What to do first
Stop the water, warn the units below and call for help. In buildings with many units, a leak rarely stays in one home.
- 01
Shut off the water
Close the valve under the fixture, or your unit's main valve. If you can't find it, ask the building manager where the shutoff is.
- 02
Warn the units below
Knock on the door under yours. Water from a floor leak can show up as a ceiling stain there.
- 03
Photograph and move things
Take photos of the leak and the wet areas. Lift rugs, boxes and electronics off wet floors, and keep clear of outlets.
- 04
City side of the meter
For a leak on the city's side of the meter, call the City of Scottsdale water line at 480-312-5650. The city says owners handle leaks on their own side.
- 05
Call for water removal
Standing water comes up first, then walls and ceilings are dried. See water extraction in Old Town.
Why one leak in Old Town can reach the floors below
In the Census tract that holds City Hall, 71% of homes are in buildings with 50 or more units. A leak in one unit can reach several others.
That tract is a small slice of Old Town, so use the number as a guide. Only 14 of its 1,759 homes are detached houses.
Water that gets into a wall or ceiling can spread through insulation and drywall. A restoration crew checks walls and ceilings with moisture meters, then dries them with fans and dehumidifiers. See structural drying.
The city says the canal banks were developed in 2005 into an area of shops, restaurants and event space. A leak in a shop or restaurant is a business problem as well as a building one. See commercial water damage.
Old Town housing: newer buildings beside homes from 1950 to 1989
In the City Hall tract, the median home was built in 2003. Across ZIP 85251, 65% of homes date from 1950 to 1989.
Newer towers and apartments
In the City Hall tract, 1,064 of 1,759 homes (60%) were built in 2000 or later. New buildings still have supply lines, water heaters and AC drains that can fail.
Homes from the 1950s to the 1980s
ZIP 85251 reaches beyond Old Town and holds 26,458 homes. The Census counts 17,109 of them as built from 1950 to 1989.
Older plumbing
An older national study by IBHS, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, found homes 30 years old were 3 times as likely to have a plumbing supply or drainage problem. Look under sinks and behind toilets for slow drips.
The Arizona Canal, the Civic Center lagoons and the FEMA map
A canal or a lagoon nearby does not set your flood zone. The FEMA flood map does, and it shows more than one zone close to Old Town.
The Arizona Canal runs east to west through Old Town. Salt River Project operates it. The Civic Center park, at City Hall, lists a Water and Fog Plaza and City Hall Lagoons among its features.
On FEMA's map, the City Hall point is Zone X, an area of minimal flood hazard. A search of a box about 1.4 by 1.2 miles around the Old Town label point also found 2 areas of Zone AH, which FEMA maps for shallow flooding. That search is not an answer for your building.
Check the current FEMA flood map for your address and ask your insurer what your policy covers. FEMA says most homeowners and renters policies do not cover flood damage. For plumbing and roof water, read does homeowners insurance cover water damage.
Own a unit but away part of the year? Leaks in empty Old Town homes
The Census estimates 124 homes in the City Hall tract, about 7%, are vacant for seasonal or occasional use. A leak in an empty unit can run until a neighbor notices.
The margin of error on that estimate is large, 83 homes, so treat it as a rough guide.
Before a long trip, close your unit's water valve. Leave a key and a phone number with the building manager or a neighbor, and ask them to check inside. Look at the water heater and under the sinks on your way out.
EPA's guidance is to dry wet areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to head off mold. A wet ceiling found weeks later may already need mold remediation.
Water damage services in Old Town Scottsdale
Old Town jobs often cross units, so drying reaches walls and ceilings as well as floors. Pick the job that fits. The city's Southern Scottsdale area surrounds Old Town, so see also South Scottsdale.
Emergency water extraction
Standing water from a leak or overflow: what to do first, what can be saved and how drying works.Mold remediation and testing
Mold or a musty smell after a leak: when testing helps and how mold remediation works.Slab leak and burst pipe
Slab leak, burst pipe or a leaking water heater: what to do first and who fixes what.Flood and storm damage
Monsoon flooding, a roof leak or water dripping from the ceiling after a storm.Sewage cleanup
A drain backup or a toilet overflow brought sewage into your home. Stay safe, then call.Structural drying
Walls and floors still wet after the water is gone: how drying works, how long it takes, what can be saved.Commercial water damage
Water in an office, restaurant or shop: what to do first, cutting downtime and the file your insurer needs.
More Scottsdale neighborhoods
Water damage pages for other neighborhoods in Scottsdale.
- South ScottsdaleIndian Bend Wash greenbelt and Granite Reef Wash, in the city's Southern Scottsdale area
- McCormick RanchGreenbelt lakes that act as storm water basins, about 5.5 miles from City Hall
- Scottsdale RanchLake Serena and 1980s homes, about 9.4 miles from Scottsdale City Hall
- Gainey RanchA 1984 reclaimed-water plant for golf course irrigation, about 6.6 miles from City Hall
Old Town Scottsdale water damage questions
Can a leak in the unit above me damage my ceiling?
Yes. Water from a leak upstairs can soak the floor and run down inside the wall to your ceiling. Take photos of any stain and tell the building manager. Call for help early, since wet drywall holds water.
Is the water in Old Town Scottsdale hard?
Yes. The city's 2026 water report puts hardness at 13 to 15 grains per gallon south of Indian School Road and 13 to 17 from Indian School Road to Chaparral Road, so both ranges touch Old Town. The USGS calls water above 180 mg/L very hard and says heating it can leave scale in a water heater. The city says hardness is not a health concern.
My shop is on the canal banks. What should I do after a leak?
The city says the canal banks in Old Town were developed in 2005 into an area of shops, restaurants and event space. If water gets into a shop, shut off the supply, move stock off the floor and photograph the damage. Then call for help.
Who supplies water in Old Town Scottsdale?
The City of Scottsdale's water service area matches the city limits, with two small exceptions served by EPCOR. Neither is described as inside Old Town. Check your water bill for the provider's name. If it says City of Scottsdale, the city water line in the first-steps list applies.
Pick your town for local storm risks and what to do first when water gets into a home.
- ScottsdaleIndian Bend Wash Greenbelt: 11 miles of flood control.
- Paradise ValleyAbout 4.4 miles from Scottsdale City Hall, with four water providers and many properties on septic.
- North ScottsdaleDC Ranch and Pinnacle Peak Park, about 16 to 21 miles from Scottsdale City Hall.
- Fountain HillsAbout 21 miles from Scottsdale City Hall. 58% of homes here were built from 1980 to 1999.
- Cave CreekFounded in 1870 as a mining and ranching community, about 29 miles from Scottsdale City Hall.
- CarefreeEasy Street and Ho Hum Road, about 27 miles from Scottsdale City Hall.