The proposed bill, if enacted, would amend current statutes regarding the determination of assured water supply by expanding the factors that the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Director must consider. Currently, the Director must evaluate the existing rate of decline, proposed withdrawals, and expected water requirements of unserved lots. The bill would add a new factor: the volume of unreplenished groundwater that an applicant proposes to use. This change aims to ensure that the volume of groundwater is physically available based on the department's groundwater model for the applicable active management area.

Additionally, the bill specifies that the ADWR must find the volume of unreplenished groundwater physically available if, after 100 years of pumping, the annual volume at the withdrawal point is equal to or less than the lesser of three specified depths: the depth to bedrock, 1,100 feet below land surface in the Pinal active management area, or 1,000 feet below land surface in the Phoenix active management area. This amendment seeks to enhance the criteria for assessing groundwater availability and sustainability in Arizona's water management practices.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 45-576