Homebuilders and Republican state lawmakers have filed a lawsuit seeking to void a rule requiring them to prove they have access to alternative water supplies in certain parts of the state.
The Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona alleges the Department of Water Resources lacks the authority to determine if people have enough water for new developments.
The rule they’re challenging requires developers to show they have access to 100 years of water. They’re also currently required to have even more water from an additional supply.
Those rules apply to active water management areas in metro Phoenix and Pinal County.
State House Speaker Steve Montenegro and Senate President Warren Peterson have joined the lawsuit, saying only the Legislature has the authority to require such rules.
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States that use the Colorado River say they want to avoid litigation about its future, but are unable to agree on a plan to share water.
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A state agency acted illegally in imposing what developers are calling a "tax" they have to pay to build in certain areas that don't have regular sources of water, a judge has concluded.
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Among many bills introduced by Democrats at the Arizona Legislature this session that never got a hearing one would have established a groundwater rights buyback program.
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The San Carlos Lake closed on Friday due to a health and safety hazard caused by dead fish. Some activities, like fishing, are prohibited until further notice.