ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House: NREW DPA 6-4-0-0

HB 2052: management plan; water loss; percent

Sponsor: Representative Griffin, LD 19

Caucus & COW

Overview

Mandates the Arizona Department of Water Resources Director require an entity that distributes water for a municipal use to limit lost and unaccounted for water to less than eight percent of the entity's total quantity of water that enters their distribution system.

History

Fifth Management Plan for Active Management Areas

The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Director is required to develop a management plan for each initial active management area (AMA) for each of the five management periods outlined by statute. The plans must include a continuing mandatory conservation program for all persons withdrawing, distributing or receiving groundwater designed to achieve reductions in withdrawal of groundwater. The fifth management plan for each initial AMA was adopted and the conservation requirements remain in effect until the legislature determines otherwise (A.R.S. §§ 45-563, 45-568)(ADWR).

Lost and Unaccounted For Water

In fifth management plans for initial AMAs a large municipal provider is required to limit the amount of lost and unaccounted for water in their distribution system to no more than 10% of the total quantity of water that enters their distribution system, calculated either annually or on a three-year average basis.

Large municipal provider means a city, town, private water company or irrigation district that begins serving more than 250 acre-feet (af) of water for non-irrigation use per year after January 1, 2000 (ADWR).

Provisions

1. Instructs the Director to, for the fifth management period, require an entity that distributes water for municipal use to limit the total quantity of lost and unaccounted for water of the entity's distribution system to 8% or less of the total quantity of water from any source that enters the entity's distribution system. (Sec. 1)

2. Requires the Director to calculate the total quantity of lost and unaccounted for water on either:

a) a calendar year basis; or

b) a three-year average basis based on the applicable calendar year and the two preceding calendar years. (Sec. 1)

3. Directs the Director to adopt rules for the management plan for the fifth management period that are consistent with this act. (Sec. 2)

4. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1)

Amendments

Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water

1. Modifies the characteristics of the municipalities or private water companies from an entity that distributes water for municipal use to an entity that has been designated as having as assured water supply in an initial active management area that receives Central Arizona Project water.

2. Specifies that this requirement would exist on an entity's distribution system that is in an initial AMA.

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6. Initials CW HB 2052

7. 02/02/2026 Page 0 Caucus & COW

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