A lawsuit brought by homebuilders to invalidate actions by the state’s water department was back in court on Friday. The outcome of the case could upend the state’s entire groundwater protection framework.
The lawsuit was filed at the beginning of last year and stems from a report Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration released in 2023 showing groundwater levels in the Phoenix metro area were unexpectedly low.
As a result, the Arizona Department of Water Resources stopped granting certificates to developers that are required to build new housing developments in parts of the Valley — including Buckeye and Queen Creek…