Assigned to NR FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1530
groundwater storage facility; withdrawals; area
Purpose
Requires the Director of Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), for the
purposes of the recovery of stored water within an active management area (AMA) and if a
recovery well permit applicant does not submit a separate hydrologic study to the Director, to
assume that the recovery well is located within the area of impact of stored water if the recovery
well location is within one mile of outlined locations.
Background
Current statute allows a person to apply to the Director of ADWR for a water storage permit
and store water at an underground storage facility or a groundwater savings facility pursuant to a
water storage permit (A.R.S. § 45-831.01). Before recovering water from any well with water
stored pursuant to a water storage permit, a person must apply for and receive a recovery well
permit from the Director of ADWR. The Director of ADWR must issue the recovery well permit if
the Director determines that: 1) the proposed recovery of stored water will not unreasonably increase
damage to surrounding land or other water users from the concentration of wells, if the application
is for a new well; 2) the applicant has the right to use the existing well, if the applicant is a city, town,
private water company or irrigation district in an AMA and the application is for an existing well
within those locations; and 3) the applicant has a right to use the existing well, if the applicant is a
conservation district and the application is for an existing well within the conservation district and
within the groundwater basin or subbasin in which the stored water is located.
A person who holds long-term storage credits or who may recover water on an annual basis
may recover the water stored within an AMA pursuant to a water storage permit if: 1) the proposed
recovery well is located within the area of impact of the stored water and either the person
recovering the water is the storer or the stored water to be recovered is Colorado River water;
2) the proposed recovery well is located outside the area of impact of the stored water and
statutorily prescribed conditions apply; or 3) the proposed recovery well is located within the area
of impact of the stored water, the person recovering the water is not the storer, the stored water to
be recovered is not Colorado River water and statutorily prescribed conditions apply (A.R.S.
§ 45-834.01).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Director of ADWR, for the purposes of the recovery of stored water within an
AMA and if a recovery well permit applicant does not submit a separate hydrologic study to
the Director, to assume that the recovery well is located within the area of impact of stored
water if the recovery well location is within one mile of:
a) the exterior boundary of a constructed underground storage facility basin or other water
storage infrastructure; FACT SHEET
S.B. 1530
Page 2
b) the middle line of a drainage channel within the storage area of a managed underground
storage facility; or
c) the exterior boundary of a district that has received a permit to operate as a groundwater
savings facility.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 14, 2025
SB/slp