The draft report would require all subdivisions to prove they have 100-year water supplies if they want to benefit from proposed water supply funds
By Joanna Dodder Nellans
The Daily Courier
A new draft report from the Arizona Water Resources Development Commission recommends making it easier for local governments to require new subdivisions to have long-term water supplies.
A 5-year-old state law (Senate Bill 1575 from 2007) allows counties and municipalities to require all new subdivisions to prove to the Arizona Department of Water Resources that they have adequate 100-year water supplies. However, the law forces counties to get unanimous Board of Supervisor approval to enact the new requirement.
Currently only subdivisions inside active management areas, including the Prescott area, must show 100-year water supplies under state law.
The state commission is recommending removal of the unanimous Board of Supervisors vote requirement to require only a simple majority.