HB 2144

land divisions; water requirements    

sCurrent law – Assured water supply must exist before a city of county allows land to be subdivided into 6 or more lots.

sProposed change – AWS must exist before a city or county allows land to be divided into 5 or fewer lots.  This change would also extend to rural cities/counties that require an adequate water supply in order to subdivide.

sThe Groundwater Code (Title 45) only requires an assured water supply for subdivisions of six or more lots.  Extensive revisions to the Groundwater Code and the assured water supply rules would be required to implement this change.

sCurrently, ADWR will not issue certificates of AWS for 5 or fewer lots.  This change will involve a massive increase in ADWR’s workload.  ADWR currently does not have the statutory authority, the staffing or the funding to evaluate assured water supply for 5 or fewer lots.

sIs this enormous expansion of water regulation being proposed without evidence that lot splits are causing a significant water issue?  Is this curing a problem that doesn’t exist?