PHOENIX — Legislation designed to save huge amounts of water by allowing farmers across central Arizona to sell their land and associated groundwater rights to developers who must limit future pumping was signed into law Monday by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The Democrat said the legislation will preserve the state’s limited groundwater supply while allowing growth to continue, create jobs and help lower the price of new homes.
Senate Bill 1611 was in part prompted by a moratorium on issuing new certificates of 100-year assured water supplies builders must obtain from state water regulators that was imposed in 2023 over the Pinal and Phoenix active management areas, or AMAs. It didn’t bar new building if the area was served by an existing water supplier…