By Laura Grignano, CAGRD manager
Water issues dominate the news these days – and it’s not all about the Colorado River. For the past couple years, that conversation has included groundwater, as well. Just two years ago, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) announced a moratorium on new home construction in some parts of the Valley that rely on groundwater. Now, they have a path forward – the Alternative Designation of Assured Water Supply (ADAWS).
ADAWS is intended to assist cities, towns and private water companies in becoming designated. By providing currently undesignated water providers with certain tools and a requirement to acquire new alternative supplies – cities like Queen Creek and Buckeye can continue to grow and prosper.
By securing a designation through ADAWS, the water provider’s entire service area demand – and not just an individual subdivision – is now subject to the Assured Water Supply (AWS) Rules. This means that all groundwater pumped and delivered within that service area must be made consistent with the management goal of that particular Active Management Area. This is where CAGRD comes in.
CAGRD provides replenishment services to water providers designated under ADAWS to ensure their groundwater pumping is made consistent with AWS rules. Under the new ADAWS rules, a water provider seeking this path must enroll in CAGRD as a Member Service Area (MSA) before obtaining their designation. Earlier this summer, the CAWCD Board approved new standard-form MSA agreements to ensure an efficient and timely enrollment process.
The first entity to transition to designated provider status under ADAWS is EPCOR West Valley. This may actually decrease CAGRD’s long-term replenishment obligation due to EPCOR’s requirement to purchase alternative water supplies to support new growth and reduce its overall reliance on groundwater. Reduced reliance on groundwater is beneficial for both the aquifer and CAGRD and its members.
KRA: Groundwater Replenishment
Fulfilling CAP’s groundwater replenishment responsibilities in accordance with statutory requirements