Another Path Towards Sustainable Development

New State rules are being considered to enable growth to start again on the edges of the Phoenix area and parts of Pinal County while staying consistent with the fundamentals of Arizona’s 100-year Assured Water Supply Program. These rules provide a path for water providers that lack a Designation of Assured Water Supply (Designation) to demonstrate to the State that they are investing in water supplies other than groundwater and the necessary infrastructure to serve their customers.  

These new rules are in response to the Arizona Department of Water Resources’ (ADWR) 2023 groundwater model for the greater Phoenix area, which projected that there will not be enough groundwater available to meet anticipated demands over the next 100 years. Due to these projections, the construction of new subdivisions that rely on groundwater on the periphery of the Valley has been halted. However, new housing projects can move forward if they are within the service area of a water provider with a Designation - a voluntary standard that a water provider can obtain if it shows sufficient water supplies are available to meet projected demands over the next 100 years. Doing so requires water providers to invest in renewable supplies and the necessary infrastructure in order to reduce reliance on finite groundwater. All ten AMWUA municipalities have had Designations for nearly 30 years. Together, they deliver water to over half the state’s population and the countless businesses that power the Phoenix area’s economy.  

This requirement to ensure water before development has enabled Arizona to provide consumer protection to homeowners and secure stability for our thriving economy. While the halt on development outside designated providers’ service areas has been difficult for the home building industry, it is vital that Arizona continues to prioritize water security to protect the long-term health of our economy and communities. We will have no affordable housing without the guarantee of secure water supplies.

These new rules under consideration - the Alternative Pathway to Designation or “ADAWS” -  would provide an opportunity for more water providers to obtain Designations. It would require a water provider to be responsible for all groundwater pumping within its service area and acquire new water supplies to decrease groundwater withdrawals. The requirements are similar to current Designations. However, since the Phoenix AMA groundwater model shows shortages in groundwater availability, ADAWS does place additional constraints on groundwater usage. For example, after acquiring a renewable water source, the water provider must reduce its dependence on groundwater by 25% of the renewable supply. This requirement is essential to ensure that ADAWS actually reduces a provider’s groundwater pumping over the next 100 years.  

The ADAWS rules aim to ensure that housing and commercial development can continue in the service areas where water providers are willing to invest in renewable water supplies and the infrastructure needed to make those supplies available to their customers. Unfortunately, some who could benefit from ADAWS are advocating for weaker rules because they claim the requirements are too difficult.  

Watering down the ADAWS rules would undermine the long-term health of our aquifers and put at risk the investments that the AMWUA cities and other designated water providers have made to ensure water security for their residents. These investments, including storing water underground for use during shortages, are even more critical given the deteriorating condition of the Colorado River and the uncertainty surrounding how future cuts to the river will be allocated. ADAWS is structured to help stabilize an already stressed aquifer while providing a pathway for development to continue. It also continues Arizona’s commitment to protecting current and future residents’ investments in their homes. In turn, the foundation of water security remains strong for our thriving economy. 

We believe that the ADAWS rules provide a rigorous path for undesignated providers to obtain a Designation, which is achievable through dedicated commitment and investment. We acknowledge that the success of ADAWS depends, in part, on how many undesignated providers will rise to the challenge and pursue Designation under this new regulatory framework. Two private water providers have already signaled their willingness to pursue ADAWS, and we hope others will follow. By having the regulatory framework for sustainable development in place, we can then turn our focus to the greater task of developing and investing in new water supplies. These efforts, combined with having more water providers designated, will help ensure that Arizona remains thriving and prosperous for current and future generations. 

For 55 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has helped protect our member cities' ability to provide their communities with assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies. For more information, visit www.amwua.org .