The Brief Residents in a historic Tempe neighborhood are speaking out after construction for a new shopping center led to months of water-related torment. A damaged pipe caused by excavation work left residents without proper irrigation water, driving up utility bills as they used city water to keep plants alive. Residents in a historic Tempe neighborhood are speaking out after they say construction for a new shopping center has led to months of water-related torment. Our water bills just went sky-high because everybody was using city water to keep their trees alive, to keep their grass from dying." What they're saying:A representative from Thompson Thrift shared the following statement with FOX 10 regarding this issue.