REFERENCE TITLE: rainwater harvesting; appropriation State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HB 2644 Introduced by Representatives Liguori: Abeytia, Austin, Biasiucci, Blattman, Connolly, Contreras P, Garcia, Mrquez, Simacek, Volk, Wilmeth; Senators Dunn, Fernandez, Leach, Shope An Act Amending section 49-1332, Arizona Revised Statutes; amending title 49, chapter 8, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 49-1336; appropriating monies; relating to the water infrastructure finance authority. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
REFERENCE TITLE: rainwater harvesting; appropriation
State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
HB 2644
Introduced by Representatives Liguori: Abeytia, Austin, Biasiucci, Blattman, Connolly, Contreras P, Garcia, Mrquez, Simacek, Volk, Wilmeth; Senators Dunn, Fernandez, Leach, Shope
REFERENCE TITLE: rainwater harvesting; appropriation
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
2025
HB 2644
Introduced by
Representatives Liguori: Abeytia, Austin, Biasiucci, Blattman, Connolly, Contreras P, Garcia, Mrquez, Simacek, Volk, Wilmeth; Senators Dunn, Fernandez, Leach, Shope
An Act
Amending section 49-1332, Arizona Revised Statutes; amending title 49, chapter 8, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 49-1336; appropriating monies; relating to the water infrastructure finance authority.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Section 49-1332, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE49-1332. Water conservation grant fund; purposes A. Monies in the water conservation grant fund must facilitate voluntary water conservation programs or projects that are expected to result in at least one of the following: 1. Long-term reductions in water use. 2. Improvements in water use efficiency. 3. Improvements in water reliability. B. Monies in the water conservation grant fund may be used for the following: 1. Education and research programs on how to reduce water consumption, increase water efficiency or increase water reuse. 2. Programs and projects for rainwater harvesting, including those undertaken pursuant to the RAINWATER harvesting PROGRAM ESTABLISHED by section 49-1336, gray water systems, efficiency upgrades, installing drought-resistant landscaping, turf removal and other practices to reduce water use. 3. Programs or projects to promote groundwater recharge and improved aquifer health. 4. Programs or projects to improve groundwater conservation and surface water flows. 5. Landscape watershed protection, restoration and rehabilitation, including through green infrastructure and low-impact development to conserve or augment water supplies 6. Projects facilitating coordinated water management, including groundwater storage and recovery. 7. Programs or projects to reduce structural water overuse issues. 8. Program implementation and administration costs for eligible programs. END_STATUTE Sec. 2. Title 49, chapter 8, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 49-1336, to read: START_STATUTE49-1336. Rainwater harvesting program; eligibility; application; limitation; audit; definition A. the rainwater harvesting program is established in the authority to assist an eLIGIBLE ENTITy or a nongovernmental ORGANIZATION that focuses on water conservation or ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION that partners with an ELIGIBLE entity in installing passive or active systems to collect and retain rainwater on-site. Applicants shall submit project plans for approval by the authority before receiving any grant monies for reimbursement. The authority shall make available grant monies as reimbursements for projects based on the submittal date and the suitability of a project plan. B. The authority shall establish an application form and project plan requirements that are consistent with those established for the water conservation grant fund pursuant to this article. To receive approval and grant monies for a project, the project must comply with all applicable zoning, permitting, backflow prevention and use requirements for the project at that location. C. The rainwater harvesting program shall provide for two levels of grants as follows based on the type of project: 1. For level 1 grants, the following apply: (a) The project is a simple and passive rainwater harvesting system. (b) grant monies may be used to reimburse up to fifty percent or a maximum of $500 of the cost of eligible materials and labor. (c) Costs eligible for reimbursement include: (i) Surface, subsurface and conveyance features. (ii) Mulch, soil amendments and rocks and boulders for reinforcement. (iii) Equipment rental, such as tillers, jackhammers and trenchers. (iv) Permit costs and costs for curb cuts and coring. (v) Labor from persons who are licensed by the registrar of contractors in the specific trade or field appropriate to the work performed. 2. For level 2 grants, the following apply: (a) The project is an active and more complex rainwater harvesting system than a level 1 system. (b) grant monies may be used for the full cost of the rainwater harvesting system based on the capacity of the rain storage tank, up to a maximum of $2,000, as follows: (i) For a tank with a capacity of fifty to seven hundred ninety-nine gallons, $.25 for each gallon of tank capacity. (ii) For a tank with a capacity of eight hundred gallons or more, $1 for each gallon of tank capacity. (iii) The $.25 and $1 per gallon capacity rebate amounts include the costs of the tank, gutter, tank foundation, overflow and miscellaneous materials that make up the system. D. Grant monies do not cover and the following are not reimbursable costs: 1. Conveyance features that direct rainwater off-site without entering an appropriately sized landscape retention feature or storage tank. 2. Overflow features, such as a rock or mulch basin. 3. Removing and replacing old gutters. 4. Importing soil to create passive rain garden practices. 5. Purchasing or delivering gravel or decomposed granite as a surface cover. 6. Purchasing or installing pressurizing pumps or associated controls. 7. Purchasing or installing irrigation systems or backflow prevention devices that are otherwise required for a site with a pump system for distributing nonmunicipal potable water. 8. Purchasing or installing landscaping materials, such as plants, edging or decorative gravel. 9. Labor that is provided by the owner, a handyman or any other person who is not a licensed contractor in this state. 10. Purchasing tools, such as shovels, rakes, drill bits and garden hoses. 11. Used or reconditioned tanks and cisterns unless approved by the authority. E. The authority may inspect and audit a project that receives grant monies pursuant to this section. F. For the purposes of this section, "eligible entity" has the same meaning prescribed in section 49-1301. END_STATUTE Sec. 3. Appropriation; water infrastructure finance authority of Arizona; rainwater harvesting grant program; exemption A. The sum of $_________ is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the water conservation grant fund established by section 49-1331, Arizona Revised Statutes, to fund and administer the rainwater harvesting program established by section 49-1336, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act. B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 49-1332, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE49-1332. Water conservation grant fund; purposes
A. Monies in the water conservation grant fund must facilitate voluntary water conservation programs or projects that are expected to result in at least one of the following:
1. Long-term reductions in water use.
2. Improvements in water use efficiency.
3. Improvements in water reliability.
B. Monies in the water conservation grant fund may be used for the following:
1. Education and research programs on how to reduce water consumption, increase water efficiency or increase water reuse.
2. Programs and projects for rainwater harvesting, including those undertaken pursuant to the RAINWATER harvesting PROGRAM ESTABLISHED by section 49-1336, gray water systems, efficiency upgrades, installing drought-resistant landscaping, turf removal and other practices to reduce water use.
3. Programs or projects to promote groundwater recharge and improved aquifer health.
4. Programs or projects to improve groundwater conservation and surface water flows.
5. Landscape watershed protection, restoration and rehabilitation, including through green infrastructure and low-impact development to conserve or augment water supplies
6. Projects facilitating coordinated water management, including groundwater storage and recovery.
7. Programs or projects to reduce structural water overuse issues.
8. Program implementation and administration costs for eligible programs. END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Title 49, chapter 8, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 49-1336, to read:
START_STATUTE49-1336. Rainwater harvesting program; eligibility; application; limitation; audit; definition
A. the rainwater harvesting program is established in the authority to assist an eLIGIBLE ENTITy or a nongovernmental ORGANIZATION that focuses on water conservation or ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION that partners with an ELIGIBLE entity in installing passive or active systems to collect and retain rainwater on-site. Applicants shall submit project plans for approval by the authority before receiving any grant monies for reimbursement. The authority shall make available grant monies as reimbursements for projects based on the submittal date and the suitability of a project plan.
B. The authority shall establish an application form and project plan requirements that are consistent with those established for the water conservation grant fund pursuant to this article. To receive approval and grant monies for a project, the project must comply with all applicable zoning, permitting, backflow prevention and use requirements for the project at that location.
C. The rainwater harvesting program shall provide for two levels of grants as follows based on the type of project:
1. For level 1 grants, the following apply:
(a) The project is a simple and passive rainwater harvesting system.
(b) grant monies may be used to reimburse up to fifty percent or a maximum of $500 of the cost of eligible materials and labor.
(c) Costs eligible for reimbursement include:
(i) Surface, subsurface and conveyance features.
(ii) Mulch, soil amendments and rocks and boulders for reinforcement.
(iii) Equipment rental, such as tillers, jackhammers and trenchers.
(iv) Permit costs and costs for curb cuts and coring.
(v) Labor from persons who are licensed by the registrar of contractors in the specific trade or field appropriate to the work performed.
2. For level 2 grants, the following apply:
(a) The project is an active and more complex rainwater harvesting system than a level 1 system.
(b) grant monies may be used for the full cost of the rainwater harvesting system based on the capacity of the rain storage tank, up to a maximum of $2,000, as follows:
(i) For a tank with a capacity of fifty to seven hundred ninety-nine gallons, $.25 for each gallon of tank capacity.
(ii) For a tank with a capacity of eight hundred gallons or more, $1 for each gallon of tank capacity.
(iii) The $.25 and $1 per gallon capacity rebate amounts include the costs of the tank, gutter, tank foundation, overflow and miscellaneous materials that make up the system.
D. Grant monies do not cover and the following are not reimbursable costs:
1. Conveyance features that direct rainwater off-site without entering an appropriately sized landscape retention feature or storage tank.
2. Overflow features, such as a rock or mulch basin.
3. Removing and replacing old gutters.
4. Importing soil to create passive rain garden practices.
5. Purchasing or delivering gravel or decomposed granite as a surface cover.
6. Purchasing or installing pressurizing pumps or associated controls.
7. Purchasing or installing irrigation systems or backflow prevention devices that are otherwise required for a site with a pump system for distributing nonmunicipal potable water.
8. Purchasing or installing landscaping materials, such as plants, edging or decorative gravel.
9. Labor that is provided by the owner, a handyman or any other person who is not a licensed contractor in this state.
10. Purchasing tools, such as shovels, rakes, drill bits and garden hoses.
11. Used or reconditioned tanks and cisterns unless approved by the authority.
E. The authority may inspect and audit a project that receives grant monies pursuant to this section.
F. For the purposes of this section, "eligible entity" has the same meaning prescribed in section 49-1301. END_STATUTE
Sec. 3. Appropriation; water infrastructure finance authority of Arizona; rainwater harvesting grant program; exemption
A. The sum of $_________ is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the water conservation grant fund established by section 49-1331, Arizona Revised Statutes, to fund and administer the rainwater harvesting program established by section 49-1336, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.
B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.