Water testing
SimpleLab’s 53-parameter certified lab panel. You order the kit and take the sample; Neil reads the report with you, free.
$185At SimpleLabOrder a kit
Service area
Water Treatment & Plumbing in Congress & Yarnell, AZ
Congress sits at the bottom of Yarnell Hill and Yarnell sits at the top — close to 1,800 feet apart. Both towns run community water systems in the middle and private wells around the edges, and both are inside the service area at Prescott prices.
Congress & Yarnell
What the water is like here
Two elevations, two water problems, no municipal system
Yarnell sits at about 4,780 feet in the Weaver Mountains; Congress sits near 3,000 feet in the high desert below Yarnell Hill — close to 1,800 feet apart, and Highway 89 climbs roughly 1,000 of them in a little under four miles of the hill, by ADOT’s account. Most of each town is on a regulated community water system: the Yarnell Water Improvement Association (two groundwater wells, both in Peeples Valley, and about 520 connections) and the Congress Domestic Water Improvement District. Those are tested and reported like any public supply. What they don’t address is hardness — it is not a regulated contaminant — which is why softeners are the common ask on system water here.
One number on the Congress system is worth knowing: across 2018–2023 its nitrate averaged about 8.25 ppm, under the 10 ppm limit but close enough to matter in a house with a baby under six months old. Reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap brings it down.
Outlying properties — up the Weavers, out toward Peeples Valley, and on the parcels between the two towns — are on private wells, and those nobody regulates, tests or monitors. That is where the county’s arsenic problem lands. A peer-reviewed analysis of 33,099 Arizona water samples found 43.6% of Yavapai County samples above the EPA’s 10 ppb arsenic limit — the second-highest rate of any Arizona county. Arsenic here is mostly geological, not industrial: it leaches out of the granitic and volcanic bedrock the Weavers are made of. There is no upstream fix and no remediation; treatment happens at the house.
Hardness is the other constant. Groundwater moving slowly through mineral-rich rock in an arid climate comes out hard to very hard, and in our own field testing wells in this corner of the county commonly run 22–32+ grains per gallon. That is the scale on your fixtures and the reason water heaters die early out here. Iron staining and sulfur smell are common on top of it and vary property to property on the same road.
The 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire changed a lot of infrastructure in this area, and rebuilt homes often have newer plumbing on older wells. Whatever the combination, the $185 Premium Water Test comes first — 53 parameters including arsenic, and we read the results with you free.
Sourced, not estimated
The published numbers for Congress & Yarnell
| Measure | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Yarnell Water Improvement Association | Two groundwater wells, both in Peeples Valley; 523 connections | YWIA, 2020 application; EPA, AZ0413057 |
| Congress Domestic Water Improvement District | 1,870 people on 750 connections, from groundwater | EPA, AZ0413021 |
| Congress district, 2018–2023 | Arsenic about 2.8 ppb; nitrate about 8.25 ppm. Limit 10 for each | EWG compilation of district reports |
| Elevation | Yarnell about 4,780 feet; Congress about 3,000 feet | USGS, Yarnell; USGS, Congress |
| Yarnell Hill on Highway 89 | Roughly 1,000 feet of climb in a little under 4 miles | Arizona Department of Transportation |
| Population | Congress 1,811 and Yarnell 570 at the 2020 census — about 2,400 together | Census, Congress; Census, Yarnell |
Every figure above is reproduced from the linked source. Hardness is not a regulated contaminant, so the number for your house has to be measured at your tap.
Local detail
Congress is ZIP code 85332 and Yarnell 85362: about 2,400 people together, about 55 minutes from Prescott down Highway 89, so work there is scheduled as a planned visit. Peeples Valley, Wilhoit, Kirkland Junction and Skull Valley are on the same run, at the same prices as Prescott and with no trip fee.
Common Congress & Yarnell Water & Plumbing Issues
These are the problems we see most often in Congress & Yarnell homes.
- Arsenic in private wells outside the two community systems.
- Very hard water, commonly 22–32+ grains per gallon.
- Iron staining and sulfur smell varying well to well.
- Newer plumbing on older wells in post-2013 rebuilds.
- Sediment and turbidity in shallow high-desert wells.
- Above-ground well pumps and pressure tanks on remote properties. A submersible pump down in the well goes to a pump installer.
Whole-house systems for Congress and Yarnell
- Water softener installation. The Bobcat from $1,799, sized to your actual hardness reading — the common ask on system water.
- Iron, sulfur or grit. The Panther Package, $3,400, an iron and sulfur filter plus softener; the Sand Cat Package, $3,075, a sediment filter plus softener.
- Arsenic removal. The Jaguar Package, $4,750: an AdEdge Medallion system with Bayoxide E33 media, treating arsenic III and arsenic V with no chemicals, targeting under the EPA’s 10 ppb limit.
- Private well treatment. The Cougar Package, $6,475, when the well also has iron, sediment or bacteria.
Not bookable yet. This work costs more than $1,000, which puts it outside what CreekWell can take on until its Arizona contractor licenses issue. The details here are accurate so you can plan and compare. Why
Nearby Yavapai County communities we serve
Same published prices, no trip fee and the same two-year workmanship warranty anywhere in the county.
Prescott · Prescott Valley · Chino Valley · Dewey-Humboldt · Paulden · Mayer · Kirkland · Black Canyon City · Bagdad · Seligman & Ash Fork · Sedona · Cottonwood · Verde Valley · All of Yavapai County
What we do in Congress & Yarnell
Reverse osmosis
Under-sink drinking water, installed, hole drilling included.
from $829InstalledDetailsDrain clearing
Sink, tub, shower and laundry drains up to 2-inch pipe and 75 feet, and toilet stoppages. Main-line cabling waits on new equipment.
$179Flat rateDetailsWater heater service
Flush $79, anode rod $245, valves. Tankless descaling $250.
from $79Flat ratesDetailsAlso bookable: reverse osmosis systems — The Kitten at $829, or The Ocelot at $999 — which reduce arsenic and nitrate in the water you drink; the $185 Premium Water Test, which you order from SimpleLab and we read with you free; and plumbing & water heaters — tank flush $79, anode rod $245, leaks and fixtures at the flat rates on the pricing page. Drain clearing covers branch drains up to 2-inch and 75 feet; main-line cabling, sewer camera and hydro jetting are not available until new equipment arrives. Every job carries the two-year workmanship warranty plus the manufacturer’s warranty.
Service status — September 2026
Rebranding, and adding licenses
Aqua Cat Plumbing & Water Treatment is now CreekWell Plumbing & Water Treatment. Same owner, same phone number.
We are adding Arizona contractor licenses, and we are not booking new work until that is done. New work restarts the first week of November. Jobs already on the schedule are not affected.
For new work, request a November visit or call or text 928-228-5770. Bookings go in the order they come in, at the prices published on this site. No deposit.
Straight answers
Questions we get asked
Can you come out right now?
Not for new work. We are rebranding and adding Arizona contractor licenses. New work restarts the first week of November, once the licenses are issued. Jobs already on the schedule are not affected.
Leave your name on the list or call or text 928-228-5770. Bookings go in the order they come in, at the prices published on this site, with no deposit.
My well stains everything orange and smells like sulfur.
That is iron plus hydrogen sulfide, and it is common in this part of the county.
The Panther Package — iron and sulfur filter plus softener — is $3,400 installed. If you are also getting grit, the Sand Cat Package is $3,075. Which one you need depends on your test numbers, not a guess over the phone. Both are over $1,000, so they are priced for planning until the contractor licenses issue.
What does arsenic removal cost out here?
The Jaguar Package is $4,750 installed.
It is an AdEdge Medallion system running Bayoxide E33 media that treats arsenic III and arsenic V with no chemicals, targeting under the EPA limit of 10 ppb. If the well also has iron, sediment or bacteria, the Cougar Package covers the complete setup at $6,475. Same price here as in Prescott. Both are priced for planning until the contractor licenses issue; under-sink reverse osmosis from $829 covers the drinking water and is bookable now.
Am I on the town system or a well?
If you get a monthly water bill from the Yarnell Water Improvement Association or the Congress Domestic Water Improvement District, you are on a regulated community system.
It is tested and reported, and your likely issue is hardness rather than contamination. No bill and a pressure tank in a shed means a private well, which nobody tests but you. It matters because the two need completely different equipment, and we will not quote either one without knowing which you have.
Do you service Congress, Yarnell and Peeples Valley?
Yes. All three are in Yavapai County, about 55 minutes from Prescott down Highway 89.
Wilhoit, Kirkland Junction and Skull Valley are on the same run. Prices are identical to Prescott — there is no rural or distance surcharge anywhere in the county. Work out here is scheduled as a planned visit, and new work restarts the first week of November.
The list
Request a November visit in the first round of appointments
New work restarts the first week of November, once we finish rebranding and the contractor licenses are issued. Jobs already scheduled are not affected.