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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Terry Goddard, president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, says it's "very hard to see a non-litigation course in the future." -
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Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says she’ll continue her lawsuit against Saudi Arabian megafarm Fondomonte, despite new actions to restrict groundwater pumping in the area. -
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