AWS: Assured Water Supply Rules

The Assured Water Supply program was created as part of the historic 1980 Groundwater Management Act, and operates within Arizona’s five Active Management Areas. The AWS Rules are designed to protect groundwater supplies within each Active Management Area (AMA) and to ensure that people purchasing or leasing subdivided land within an AMA have a water supply of adequate quality and quantity. Thus, in each AMA, new subdivisions must demonstrate to the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) that a 100-year assured water supply is available to serve the subdivision before sales can begin.

There are seven basic criteria for proving an AWS. An applicant for an AWS must prove

  1. The water supply must be physically available for 100 years.
  2. The water supply must be legally available for 100 years.
  3. The proposed supply must be continuously available for 100 years.
  4. The water must be of sufficient quality for the proposed use.
  5. The proposed water use must be consistent with the management goal of the AMA.
  6. The proposed water use must be consistent with the current management plan of the AMA.
  7. The applicant must demonstrate the financial capability to construct any necessary water storage, treatment, and delivery systems.

An assured water supply ("AWS") can be demonstrated in two ways.

1) Certificate of Assured Water Supply is a document issued to a developer for its project and represents both a determination of hydrologic water availability and proof of the financial capability required under the code.

2) Designated provider: The owner of a subdivision can receive service from a city, town or private water company which has been “designated” by ADWR as having an AWS. The development can gain a Certificate of Assured Water Supply by showing ADWR the project is within a designated area, and that there is an agreement whereby the water facilities will be paid for and constructed to meet the financial capability requirement.

The Santa Cruz and Prescott AMA’s have unique goals as they do not have CAP renewable supply available. Special rules are necessary to meet their special needs to maintain groundwater levels.

Authority: Administered by Arizona Department of Water Resources

Website: www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/Hydrology/AssuredWaterSupply/default.htm

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