ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session

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HB 2127: assured water supply certificate; effluent

Sponsor: Representative Griffin, LD 19

Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water

Overview

Allows an application for a certificate of assured water supply for a proposed subdivision in  the Tucson, Phoenix, Prescott or Santa Cruz active management areas (AMAs) to include effluent generated by a proposed subdivision.

History

The Groundwater Management Code (Code) was enacted in 1980 and established the statutory framework to regulate and control the use of groundwater.  As part of the management framework, the Code designated five AMAs: Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Tucson and Santa Cruz (A.R.S. §§ 45-411, 45-411.03, 45-431 and 45-554).

The Code’s Assured and Adequate Water Supply Program requires a developer who plans to sell or lease subdivided lands in an AMA to obtain a certificate of  assured water supply from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) or obtain a commitment for water service from a municipality or private water company with an assured water supply designation. Without a certificate, a municipality or county cannot approve the subdivision plat and the State Real Estate Commissioner will not issue a public report authorizing the sale or lease of the subdivided lands (ADWR).

An assured water supply means:

1) sufficient groundwater, surface water or effluent of adequate quality that will be legally, physically and continuously available to meet proposed water needs for at least 100 years;

2) any projected groundwater use is consistent with the AMA's management plan and goal; and

3) the applicant has demonstrated the financial capability to build the infrastructure necessary to make water available for the proposed use (A.R.S. § 45-576).

The Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD) is a function of the Central Arizona Project that replenishes groundwater pumped by its members and provides a way to comply with requirements of the assured water supply program (CAGRD).

Effluent is water that has been collected in a sanitary sewer for subsequent treatment in a facility regulated by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Such water remains effluent until it acquires the characteristics of groundwater or surface water (A.R.S. § 45-101).

Provisions

1. Allows an applicant for a certificate of assured water supply for proposed subdivisions in the Tucson, Phoenix, Prescott or Santa Cruz AMAs to use any projected effluent, as follows:

a) if the application states the subdivision will use all the effluent it produces, the applicant can use this to demonstrate physical availability of water and consistency with the management plan and the ADWR Director must deem the applicant to be consistent with the AMA's management plan and goal; and

b) if the applicant enrolls with CAGRD as a member land, and all projected effluent produced by the subdivision will be recharged in the subbasin in which the proposed  subdivision is located, the ADWR Director is required to grant a certificate of assured water supply to the applicant. (Sec. 1)

2. Contains technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

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                        HB 2127

Initials EB/KK          Page 0 Natural Resources, Energy & Water

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