The Water Information Program

Pima County, for the first time, will look at future water use before deciding whether developers can build more houses or businesses. Environmentalists and county officials have long been concerned that current policy does not consider the effect of groundwater pumping on the environment or neighboring wells. Also, many developers meet their state requirement to show a 100-year assured water supply by joining the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District. The district looks for new supplies to replenish water lost to pumping, but may not recharge that water in the same basin from which it was withdrawn. The proposed policy changes would require developers to provide detailed information about their water sources, location within a given water basin and proximity to any ecosystems dependent on groundwater when requesting a comprehensive plan amendment, often the first step in a rezoning.