A set of water rules that has fueled rapid growth in Arizona’s suburbs is riddled with weaknesses, according to a new report by researchers at Arizona State University, who argue the system needs to be overhauled to protect homeowners from rising costs and to ensure sufficient water supplies for the future.

Kathy Ferris and Sarah Porter of the Kyl Center for Water Policy focused in their report, released Thursday, on the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District, examining the role it plays in enabling new development in parts of the state.

Since the 1990s, developers have been able to transform desert lands into subdivisions, selling lots that rely entirely on groundwater, while the district has been charged with subsequently obtaining surface water to replenish aquifers.

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