Arizona lawmakers call for measuring groundwater pumping in rural areas
by Ian James | Arizona Republic
Both Republicans and Democrats are backing measures in the Legislature that would enable Arizona to start measuring how much groundwater is pumped in unregulated rural areas where aquifers have been rapidly declining.
Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, introduced a bill this week that would give the state’s top water regulator the authority to require that measuring devices be installed on wells, and to require annual reports on water use. The bill would allow the state to require metering of wells in an area if the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources “determines it necessary for water management purposes.”
Kavanagh said he thinks the change is crucial to begin to address problems of excessive pumping in parts of the state where there are no rules limiting how much water is extracted.
