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The report addresses issues related to the Department’s efforts to ensure a long-term water supply for the State. The report contains two findings. The first finding notes that under the current regulatory structure, the safe yield goal will not likely be achieved by the Prescott, Phoenix, and Tucson areas. Safe yield is accomplished when no more groundwater is withdrawn from the aquifer than is annually replaced. Safe yield will not likely be achieved because the Groundwater Code contains a number of statutory restrictions and exemptions that limit the Active Management Areas’
(AMAs) ability to achieve safe yield. The report recommends that the Legislature consider forming a study commission to address the State’s ability to achieve the safe yield goal.
The second finding notes that Arizona may experience future water supply problems related to population growth. The population outside of the AMAs is projected to increase by an additional 500,000 persons by 2025. However, limited consumer protections outside of the AMAs provide current and future residents with less assurance about future water supply than their counterparts in the
AMAs. The report recommends that the Legislature consider amending A.R.S. §45-576 to extend the assured water supply provision to these areas. This extension would prohibit new subdivisions from being developed and sold if there was insufficient water to support the subdivision’s needs for 100 years.
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