Issues and News
Where we stand on the issues
Smart water policy and careful planning, investment, and management have enabled AMWUA’s members to build robust, reliable water supplies that support our communities and economy. It is imperative that we continue to address the issues in front of us to ensure the future viability of those supplies. Learn more about some of the issues we are working on:
Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity
Taxing water conservation rebates impedes efforts to encourage the adoption of water efficiency measures.
Drought & Shortage
Ongoing drought, climate change, and over-allocation of the Colorado River system place increasing pressure on Arizona’s water supplies.
Colorado River Shortage
Levels at Lake Mead are rapidly dropping, in part, because the water stored in this reservoir is over allocated to the states that share it. This puts...
Where we stand on Legislation
2024 - Fifty-sixth Legislature - Second Regular Session
Arizona Senate
SB 1172
Physical availability credits; water supply
In Brief
Allows the holder of an IGR to earn a physical availability credit by permanently retiring their land if certain criteria were met.
SB 1181
Groundwater replenishment; member lands; areas
In Brief
Allows a provider seeking a designation to decide whether to assume the replenishment obligation for CAGRD Member Lands within its service area.
SB 1081
Exemption area; assured water supply
In Brief
Allows ADWR to grant a DAWS to a part of city or town that is located in the Phoenix AMA and Buckeye Waterlogged Area if several criteria are met.
Arizona House
HB 2201
NOW: water; transportation; turf; land divisions
In Brief
A package bill that contains provisions covering everything from land divisions to "ag-to-urban" incentives.
HB 2366
Physical availability; review; designated providers
In Brief
Prohibits ADWR from adopting the Carry-Over Rule in the Phoenix AMA.
HB 2020
Long-term storage; stormwater; rainwater; rules
In Brief
Allows someone to earn LTSCs by building any infrastructure that leads to increased recharge of groundwater in an AMA.
AMWUA Press Room
Study: Hotter temps, not less rain, are biggest drought triggers for West
Warming temperatures, not declining precipitation, have by far been the biggest triggers of the drought that has overpowered the Western climate since 2000, a new study finds....
Proposal for developing Arizona's groundwater depleted areas faces criticism, legal concern
Arizona’s water agency is encouraging an executive council to take action on a controversial issue around building in areas with low water supplies, due to building restrictions imposed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs....
Newcomer joins incumbents on CAP board, group awaits decisions on Colorado River cuts
Rudy Fischer, a recent transplant to the state and a former businessman, will become Arizona’s newest voice in the state’s struggle with historic uncertainty on the Colorado River. ...
Improving water conservation and mitigating Arizona's heat island effect
The Arizona Board of Regents held a showcase Wednesday at the Arizona Experiment Station's Campus Agricultural Center in Tucson, featuring award-winning research from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University around new smart t...
Changes coming in 2025 to Arizona’s groundwater use
As Arizona grapples with ongoing water supply challenges, particularly groundwater depletion, the state’s five Active Management Areas are being geared up for updates to their Management Plans set to take effect in 2025. The updated plans w...
Water is essential for life
It supplies food, generates energy, and creates jobs. The wellbeing of our communities and economies depends on it. In a desert, we are acutely aware that we must continue to plan, invest, and develop forward-thinking policy today to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable water supplies for the future.
