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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
brackish groundwater pilot Pilot Program
Purpose
Amends the FY 2024 General Appropriations Act to require the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to locate the Brackish Groundwater Recovery Pilot Program (Pilot Program) within the section of ADWR that the Director of ADWR (Director) deems most appropriate, rather than within ADWR's Active Management Area (AMA) section.
Background
The 1980 Groundwater Management Act established AMAs as part of a comprehensive management framework to address groundwater rights and groundwater overdraft. Currently, there are AMAs in Phoenix, Tucson, Pinal, Prescott, Santa Cruz and Douglas. An AMA is a geographical area that has been designated as requiring active management of groundwater or, in the case of the Santa Cruz AMA, active management of any water, other than stored water, withdrawn from a well (A.R.S. Title 45, Chapter 2, Article 2).
The FY 2024 General Appropriations Act appropriated $11,000,000 to ADWR for the purpose of reviewing and updating information contained in studies on the availability of brackish groundwater in Arizona. Of the monies allocated, $2,000,000 is allocated to ADWR for the Pilot Program and to develop a base of knowledge to enhance groundwater recovery through desalination in Arizona's AMAs. ADWR must locate the Pilot Program within ADWR's AMA section, and a portion of the monies may be used for staffing. ADWR must organize the Pilot Program following the model of work undertaken by the Texas Water Development Board to further the use and development of cost-effective desalination technologies. $9,000,000 of the allocated monies are allocated for matching participants dollar-for-dollar for brackish groundwater desalination projects within the AMAs undertaken for the benefit of those receiving water from Central Arizona Project (CAP). CAP must receive three dollars for every dollar it contributes to the Pilot Program (Laws 2023, Ch. 133).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allocates monies to ADWR for the Pilot Program and to develop a base of knowledge to enhance groundwater recovery through desalination in Arizona, rather than in Arizona's AMAs.
2. Requires ADWR to locate the Pilot Program within a section of ADWR that the Director deems most appropriate, rather than within ADWR's AMA section.
3.
Allocates $9,000,000 of the monies allocated to the Pilot Program for
matching participants
dollar-for-dollar for brackish groundwater desalination projects within
Arizona, rather than AMAs undertaken for the benefit of those receiving water
from the CAP.
4. Specifies that the $3 received by CAP for every dollar it contributes to the Pilot Program are for brackish desalination projects within AMAs.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
NREW 1/30/24 DP 9-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/14/24 55-2-1-0-2
Prepared by Senate Research
February 27, 2024
RA/SDR/slp